


Vitam et mortem

by CatLady86



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Kinkmeme, M/M, Mage!Noctis, Mild Language, Past Character Death, Possible Character Death, Sex, Slow Burn, Warrior Prince!Gladio
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-18
Updated: 2018-05-17
Packaged: 2018-12-31 08:38:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 41,372
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12128682
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CatLady86/pseuds/CatLady86
Summary: A new threat has appeared that has caused widespread panic to spread across all of Eos due to the dead being raised to prey upon the living. Now with the help of an Insomnia mage hired by his father, Gladio sets off to Altissia in hopes of finding a way to end this plight. While on his journey though, he learns things about himself he never knew and tries to get along with his teenage bodyguard Noctis while facing off against a powerful enemy bent on destruction.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So yup, finally worked up the nerve to post this here after having a not so nice start over on the Kinkmeme. But Everyone else was so sweet and after having the story at the halfway-ish point I figure it's high time to start editing it and uploading it here. Thank you and enjoy! :D

Gladio makes his way through what is left of his warriors, checking on each one and offering support despite himself being wounded. They had believed this most recent battle would be simple since the enemy force only seemed around a couple dozen to his hundred. But as they struck down their enemies something horrific dawns on them, they were not fighting men or at least ones that were alive. These were reanimated corpses that they fought and every time one would be struck down, it would get right back up and continue fighting. The worst of it though was whenever one of his soldiers would be felled, they would stand and join the ranks of the undead fighting against them, slaughtering their brethren and adding more to their side. Gladio, sickened by this heinous defilement of the dead and fearing for the rest of his men, had ordered a swift retreat. They made it to the safety of one of the forts and watched as the dead fell back as the sun began to rise, taking their fallen comrades with them. The warrior Prince grits his teeth in anger, wondering what kind of monster would taint the dead and use them as puppets for war, none of the enemies he faced before were that vile. Whoever this new threat was, has the potential to bring all the nations to their knees and cause ruination to the lands. He sends word to his father about the tragic ordeal and with regret speaks of how their strength alone would not suffice in defeating this new enemy and that they’d have to formulate a countermeasure, maybe even form an alliance with one of the neighboring tribes who excelled in long ranged attacks. He had heard of a skilled bowmaster, maybe with a decent trade agreement they could get him on their side and have him train some of his warriors in the art of the bow. Word returns from his father and as Gladio reads the parchment, a lump forms in his throat and his stomach drops. Two of the tribes to the north has already fallen to this new enemy, they were massacred in the middle of the night without warning and no one was spared. Some scouts had regaled of seeing women and children lumbering amongst the skeletal soldiers and men, their eyes glowing a hellish red and skin sickly gray with black slime oozing from their orifices. Word has reached all the Kingdoms across Eos and even as far as Accordo where a meeting is to be held in two week's time between all the leaders to try and formulate a plan of action before this new scourge spreads. Gladio has been chosen as his tribe’s representative since he is the Prince and most respected amongst the warriors besides his father and sister. Gladio sighs deeply, Galdin is under control of a rival tribe so that would leave Cape Caem which is far away. So with a heavy heart, he bids farewell to his men and sets off back to his bastion to prepare for his coming quest. 

Walking through the front gate of the Amicitia fortress brings little comfort, especially when he sees the distraught faces of some of the family whose kin had been lost in battle. He wishes he could have delivered the deceased's bodies to them for proper burial, but as it stands, that is impossible. 

“Gladdy!” a soft voice echoes from the somber halls, bringing a bit of life to the castle.

A young brunette rushes towards him, a bright smile on her face as she jumps into his awaiting arms and gets a strong hug from him.

“Iris, you’re looking well.” he says and sets his sister down. “How goes your training?”

“Great! I believe a little bit more and I’ll best both you and dad.”

Gladio snorts. “I’m sure.”

“Don’t be so quick to brush off her strength my son, your sister is a formidable fighter, as is expected of all Amicitia’s.” his father says as he descends a stone stairwell to greet his son. “It is good to see you home safely.”

Gladio grits his teeth and furrows his brows. “But I failed to bring all of my men back safely, I allowed them to be spoiled by whatever this fiend is.” 

“Unfortunately, when a never before seen enemy emerges you lose people until you find the best strategy to quash your enemies movements. But as it stands, you were lucky to make it out with as many as you did.” his father tells him and turns back to the stairs. “Come Gladiolus, we have much to discuss before your journey.”

Gladio follows his father up to the war room where he finds two of his father’s generals, Dustin and Monica, waiting along with a person he has never seen before dressed in ornate black and red robes with a white mask covering their face. The young Prince feels a slight unease as he steps past the person, feeling as though they have their eyes fixed upon him. He takes a seat aside his father and keeps his eyes trained on the far wall as not to stare at their guest who Gladio feels is still watching him. 

“So as we have learned, all the leaders of the kingdoms are sending representatives to Altissia, we as the ruling tribe of the Duscae region are to attend as well, with you Gladiolus as our official.”

“Thank you father for allowing me the honor to speak on behalf of our home.” Gladio says and begins to frown when it sounds like the masked individual yawns. “But how will I travel to Altissia? I’m sure the Ghiranze clan would just _love_ for me to come waltzing into their territory and demand a boat ride, even if other tribes are there.” 

“Well, you did send back one of their messengers with a broken nose once.” 

“He called us uncultured savages and leered at Iris.” Gladio retorts and shoots a glare at the cloaked person who snickers. “Who the hell is this?”

“Gladiolus, mind your manners.” he father reprimands and turns to his guest. “As you said, going through Galdin Quay is not an option. So Cape Caem is the only other choice we have, but traveling there is going to be dangerous especially with a large group of guards. So I sought out the best solution that would keep you safest with the least amount of bodies.”

Gladio furrows his brows, looking at the newcomer and then his father. “And that would be?”

“I hired a mage, or more correctly, a Caelum.”

The brunette's eyes widen and fill with rage. “What!? You’re fucking kidding me! They’re our enemies dad.” 

“They were, but as it stands now, there is an even greater threat and we can’t afford to hold onto a centuries-old grudge.” Clarus says and nods to the cloaked figure. “They have agreed to send a bodyguard to protect you all the way to Altissia and back.”

“So what do they get out of this? My firstborn to sacrifice to their shit gods?” the prince snaps but then pales. “It’s not Iris is it?”

“No, all they asked was for a meager amount of Gil and to be allowed passage to the Disc of Cauthess and Fociaugh Hollow which are holy lands to their coven and what our forebears blocked them from.”

“This is bullshit, I’d rather go on my own and risk death than be guided by a damn mage.”

The cloaked figure chuckles again. “By the fit you’re throwing I think babysat is a more correct term, and you’re even older than me.”

“Watch your tongue mage!” the Prince snaps.

“Or what, you going to bust my nose too? Barbaric heathen.” 

“You little bastard!” Gladio bares his teeth and goes to challenge the mage for slander but is stopped by his father. 

“Please, enough. Gladiolus, as the future ruler of Duscae, you must learn to control your anger or else you’ll bring on many new enemies.” the king says and turns to the mage. “And I was given a list of rules that you are to abide by from your father young man, I’m sure you know what the price of breaking them are. So do behave yourself.”

The young mage groans deeply, his shoulders slumping. “Yes sir.” 

“Good, know then, I have already had the stewards begin preparing gear for your departure and it should be ready by dawn. Go get a good night sleep, I’m afraid you won’t have one for a long while.” Clarus says and turns back to the mage. “We have prepared a guest room for you whenever you wish to turn in.”

“Yes, thank you, your Majesty.” the young mage says and stands, nodding to an awaiting attendant and following them out. 

Clarus looks to his son, the young man wearing a distraught expression. He walks to his son and gently cups his face, looking into his amber eyes. “Being King isn’t easy my son, sometimes it requires you to give up some of your pride for the good of your people. If I didn’t, I would have never married your mother and had the two most wonderful children in all of Eos.”

“But that was just you having to best a Galahd Shieldmaiden after being captured and then afterward you two married.” Gladio chortles, remembering his bruiser of a mother. 

“Please son, try to get along with him.” 

“All right.” 

Clarus pats his son on the cheek and wishes him goodnight before shooing his son off. Gladio sighs and heads towards his bedchamber, but stumbles across the young mage standing in front of a large portrait of the royal family and gazing at it. The brunette scowls mightily and stalks past the mage, ignoring him and his head turn.

“I hope those muscles of yours aren't just for show, my magic isn’t really made for up close combat.”

Gladio growls lightly and turns to the mage. “They’re not, I’m the strongest warrior in the three regions.” he says and slits his eyes. “I hope your magic isn’t just flashy theatrics.” 

“Oh?” the young mage begins as the prince turns to continue walking and twirls his finger around. “I assure you. I am also the best at what I do.”

A loud gasp and thud is heard followed by multiple curses. The young mage turns to look at the felled prince laying on a sheet of ice and glaring at him vehemently. The brunette tries to stand up quickly but only slips and falls onto his ass again.

The mage sniggers and removes his mask, revealing soft porcelain skin encased by thick raven black hair, and deep blue eyes that shine in the candlelight. “My name is Noctis Lucis Caelum, and I am at your service your Highness.”

“Psht, fine, I’m Gladiolus Amicitia. Now undo this damned ice so I can head to my quarters.”

“Very well.” Noctis says and with a finger snap, fire sprouts forth and melts the ice making the brunette yip and jump away. “I will see you in the morning then, sleep well, my dear Prince.”

Gladio snarls at the mage as he walks away, but decides to just head to bed and not fuss with him anymore for the day.


	2. Chapter 2

Gladio had awoken at the crack of dawn as he has done each morning since he was a child. He quickly bathed and dressed then headed down to the dining room where his father was already seated and eating breakfast. The young prince eats a quick meal with his father before setting off to oversee the gear that would be taken along with himself and the young mage, who Gladio hasn’t seen yet this morning, then once he’s satisfied he heads back inside to see if his guardian is ready to head out. He’s not, for the little mage is still snoozing away. Gladio groans and heads to the guest room, banging on the door with enough force the whole frame rattles. 

“Hey, mage, we need to get a move on!” he calls to the person on the other side, waits for a response then bangs again. “Get the hell up!” 

The lock unlatches and as soon as the door opens, a gust of wind knocks the large man into the adjacent wall as the mage lumbers out with a yawn. 

“I’m up you big jerk, geez.” the mage grumbles and makes his way down the hall. “Stupid barbarians and their inhuman sleep regiments.”

Gladio grunts and follows after him, becoming more and more impatient as the haughty mage takes his sweet damn time nitpicking at the food given to him for breakfast before eventually deciding to get himself cleaned up. They finally prepare to set off, an hour after originally planned, with Gladio bidding farewell to his father and sister. 

“Promise me you’ll send a letter when you arrive.” his sister asks, a look of sadness on her face she tries to desperately hide. 

“I promise, and if you keep up with your training while I’m gone I’ll bring you back something nice.” he tells the young girl and hugs her tightly. Gladio then turns to his father, seeing a rare look of worry on his face. “Dad, I’ll be alright.”

“I know, but I’m your father and I will still fret.” he says and presses his forehead to his son’s. “Be strong my child and put your faith in your companion, he will be there for you and you for him.” he says and turns to the black-haired youth. “Young Master Caelum, my son is in your hands, please protect him.”

“You have my word you’re Majesty.” Noctis says and bows to the King. 

Gladio sighs and heads to his awaiting Chocobo, climbing up onto its back and then looking around in question. “How come mine is the only Chocobo, what is the mage riding on?”

“Your’s.” the young man says and without shame climbs up behind the glaring Prince. “This makes it easier to watch your back and cast magic without trying to steer a Chocobo.” 

The Prince groans in protest, but that’s all it amounts to since he does understand the logic behind it. He bids farewell to his family once more and heads off with his protector, an uneasy silence befalling them. Gladio hears the young mage yawn a few times followed by slight grumbles as he shifts around behind him. He purses his lips and decides to take his father’s words to heart, by putting some of his pride away and try being civil. 

“Hey uh, if you're tired you can sleep, not much out here besides packs of Garula and they don’t attack unless provoked. There may be a few Voretooths but they’re also no threat.”

“Yeah, thanks.” the young man says and without hesitation rests his head against the broad back of the prince and dozes off as the older man turns a deep shade of red. 

Gladio sighs deeply and shakes his head, pondering how this lazy teen will be such a great help to him. He wonders if his coven sent the boy to get rid of him, but hopefully if and when trouble befalls them the young mage will do his duty by helping keep him safe. They continue to travel at a steady pace, venturing by Neeglyss Pond, a place Gladio recalls visiting as a youth with his parents and baby sister for picnics. But then a sadness washes over the young prince as he halts his mount and stares at the lush land before him; they haven’t traveled here in over five years since his mother passed away. Maybe when this new threat is tempered and the warring between the clans settles he can bring his sister here for a picnic, maybe pick some flowers to bring back home.

“Why’d we stop here?” the mage asks with a yawn. 

“Remembering something.” Gladio offers up and presses on. “Have a good nap?”

“Yeah, kind of. My magic still isn’t fully recharged yet. I have to say though, if you fight like your father, then I pity anyone who crosses you.” 

“Wait, you fought my dad?” the Prince asks in shock.

“Yeah, he wanted to test my power, said he had to make sure he wasn’t sent a weakling to protect his only son.” the teen says as he stretches.

“Well you must have impressed him or else you wouldn’t be here.” 

“Hmm, yes. So tell me Prince, what exactly were these things like? I only heard small details, like how no matter how many times you struck them down, they kept getting back up.”

“Yeah, they did. Nothing seemed to fell them and each one of my brethren that was killed joined their ranks and fought against us. It was truly painful to see, men I have been comrades with since childhood were slaughtered and then turned to attack me.” 

“Sounds kinda like Necromancy.” the teen says with a grimace and a chill running up his spine. “But that was outlawed by my father when he became the High Priest after his father was murdered and reanimated into a puppet ruler. ”

“Shit, what happened?”

“It was discovered that an attempted coup was being formulated to overthrown my family and in its place, a new coven would take over, one that wanted to lay waste to the surrounding lands and subjugate them, add to our numbers before moving on to conquer other regions. They had tried to use the face of my grandfather to sway the other elders to join in their plan, but my father noticed something off and when he confronted him he was attacked. My dad and the other elders on the council struck down the doppelganger and rounded up those who were masters of the dark arts and executed them by way of burning.”

“Well it seems like maybe one of them survived.” 

“I hope not, because if that’s true then we are dealing with a mage that has powers far greater than anyone could have imagined and no one would be safe.”

“Great.” Gladio grunts out. 

“But do not fear my dear Prince, I, the great Noctis Lucis Caelum; son of High Priest Regis Lucis Caelum; will protect you.”

“Oh, my hero.” the young prince snorts. “And just call me Gladio, if we stop at a town and the wrong person hears you call me Prince it could lead to unwanted attention.” 

“Why is that? Isn’t this all your land?”

“Yeah, but not everyone joined us willingly. Not to mention our rivals like to sneak in and snoop around.”

“Gotcha. And call me Noct instead too, saying mage will also bring unwanted attention since we are a grand prize for traffickers and I really don’t enjoy wasting my magic setting buffoons on fire.” 

“All right.”

The two men fall back into silence, with Gladio keeping his eyes trained on their surroundings as the young mage keeps his closed and revels in the light breeze that brushes against his face. 

A peaceful sigh escapes the teen’s lips. “So many wonderful smells around here, and the spirits are happy.”

“How can you tell?”

“I can hear them sing. They are joyous about how your clan cares for this land, how you only use what is needed and give tribute for what you have taken.”

“Guess for being barbarians we’re not so bad, huh?” Gladio says, a cheeky smile on his face. 

“Hmm, guess not.” Noct says and rests his head against the man’s back again. “You also smell greatly of earth, of the God Titan. You must have a strong connection to him to smell so earthly.”

“Yeah, no. We don’t pray to your Gods, we honor the spirits and our ancestors who paved the way for our prosperity.”

“Yes well, who do you think permitted you to live off this land? And who controls the spirits you honor? It’s Titan, one of the Six who rule over the lands. I brought a book that tells the tale of them, if you would like to read it?” Noct asks, taking a civil tone instead of his usual snooty.

“All right, and if you would like I have guides on the land and its inhabitants; plants and animals mostly.”

“Sounds interesting.” the young mage says and then goes rigid while scanning the tree lines. “Four to our right, one in the trees with a bow. They’re not friendly and I smell rotting corpses.”

Gladio clenches his teeth and tries to act nonchalant while side-eying the forest, catching a glimmer of something metal. “Do you think outrunning them is an option?”

“With a perfectly timed blast of my magic, yes.”

“Okay, so you cast a spell and I’ll order Insula to dash.”

“All right, on the count of three.” Noctis says and readies a spell. “One, two, THREE!”

The young mage casts a powerful gust of wind at their pursuers, knocking the one out of the tree as Gladio urges his Chocobo to dash onward at an increased speed. Angry shouts and curses come from the group who has jumped from out of hiding to check on their fallen comrade.

“Damn brigands.” Gladio growls as he urges his Chocobo to run faster. “Are they still pursuing us?”

“They don’t seem to be bu-SHIT!” Noctis goes to cast a quick wind spell but an arrow zips at them and strikes Gladio’s Chocobo right in its thigh, sending the bird tumbling over and knocking it’s riders to the ground. The young mage quickly gets up and dives in front of the fallen Prince, standing guard as more bandits emerge from the forest. “I demand you leave us, or else you will pay with your lives.” 

One of the men laughs, hoisting a broadsword up onto his shoulder. “Well, well, it seems this little magician believes his hat tricks will stop us. Sorry kid, ain't gonna work, so just hand over all your valuables and we may let you live.”

“Uh, I’m gonna say, fuck no.” Noctis snaps out, balling up his fist that begins to emit a small crackling surge before turning to the Prince standing behind him. “So, tell me your Highness, should I let them off with a little shock or just fry them?”

The group stare in shock and begin to chatter amongst each other why glancing at the two men, wicked looks overtaking them.

“Didn’t I say not to call me that?”

Noct smiles and shrugs. “You said not to call you Prince.”

“Same difference.” Gladio grunts out before unsheathing his sword and standing defensively.

Noctis turns back towards the men, knitting his brows as a much larger man steps forwards, rubbing at his chin and eyeing them salaciously. He looks at the young mage first before turning to the Prince and grinning with foul intent.

“The Warrior Prince of Duscae. I’ve heard you’re sought after by other sovereigns who want your head on a spike, or your body in their bed. Could fetch a nice reward selling you to one of them.”

Noctis shakes his head and chuckles. “Yeah, sorry but no. I have a contract to keep his head firmly attached to his body.” he says and grins back at Gladio. “Although if he wants to take some time to get his rocks off, that’s fine by me.”

Gladio snorts. “I’ve met most of the other leaders at the land meets, they’re not my type or age.” 

“Oh? And what _is_ your type?”

“Someone strong, fearless, and a bit good looking too.” 

“That’s enough banter out you both.” the man says and steps closer. “Leave the Prince with us, boy, and you won’t end up dead.”

Noctis sighs and looks back at Gladio, gesturing with his head towards the men and grinning. 

“Well, they did strike my Chocobo and it’s not safe to let them potentially attack other passerbys, so go ahead.”

“Oh fun.” Noctis says and without hesitation unleashes a ball of lightning upon the group. 

Agonized screams and the smell of burning flesh wafts through the air as the electricity courses through the men’s bodies, them dropping to their knees as smoke rises from their charing remains. Gladio watches stunned as the last of the shrieks fizzle out and their forms crumble into cinders. So much destruction from such a small attack and wielded by such a petite young man. Seeing something like this before would probably have made him sick, but now all he can think about is how a power like this could possibly help defeat this new scourge, whatever it may be. Noctis looks back at the Prince, his eyes glowing a brilliant shade of red that sends a shiver down Gladio’s spine but he also finds it exhilarating. The teen finally blinks, his eyes returning to their shining and warm blue as he smiles proudly. 

“So, how was that?”

“You did good.” he says, smiling back at the teen before knitting his brows and looking around. He spots a light trail of blood heading deep into the forest, making his stomach turn. “Insula.”

“He is alive, but greatly wounded. I can sense him, he is not far from here but we should hurry and get him patched up. Follow me.”

Noctis begins to run ahead with the Prince looking to the charred bodies before following after him. They find the injured bird, thankfully in the care of a man both Gladio and Insula know quite well.

“Mr. Wiz, it’s good to see you again.” Gladio says as he steps over to greet the man and pet his injured Chocobo consolingly. 

“It is good to see you as well your Highness, but it seems you ran into trouble by the injury Insula sustained.”

“We were assailed by brigands on the main path.”

“Ah yes, I know the ones you speak of. They have ransacked many trade caravans along the way and in turn will sell the items themselves for ridiculous amounts of Gil. We have become short stocked on necessities as of late.” 

“Why was word not sent to us, we would have sent aide.” Gladio says with great concern.

“We had a week ago. But with the rumors of daemons stalking the night, we figured you were all too busy to help us.” 

Gladio furrows his brows. “No message ever came to us, even if we were shorthanded my father would have sent assistance.”

“Then I’m afraid to say that either the messenger was killed, or he took the Gil we gave him for travel and fled.”

“Damnit.” Gladio shakes his head and groans. He then turns to his bodyguard who is looking around curiously. “Something the matter?”

“I keep feeling a pull of energy, like it’s trying to lead me somewhere.”

“There is a strange land mass over yonder, has these runes on it that glow at night.”

“Interesting.” Noct says and begins to leave. “I’ll be back in a bit, your Highness. I think this might be of some help to us but I want to check it out myself first.”

“All right, but be careful.”

Noctis turns back to him and smiles. “Aww, you worried about me?”

“Well you won’t be a good bodyguard if you're dead.”

“True, but you already saw what I’m capable of, so don’t worry.” 

Gladio nods to him as the teen sets off again. He goes to sit down next to his injured Chocobo, pulling its head onto his lap and strokes it’s crest softly.


	3. Chapter 3

Noctis returns sometime later, a spry motion to his gate as he ventures to the prince’s side. Gladio looks to him in question, feeling a strange new aura radiating from the teen.

“So, what did you find?” Gladio asks, watching as the younger man flexes his hand with a grin.

“An old Haven. I remember my instructor mentioning them once, that they were enchanted by a powerful mystic eons ago and travelers in the olden days would stay there to protect themselves at night from the evil spirits that plagued the land. I do believe if we travel into dusk, we could stay atop one and be safe from whatever lurks at in the dark.” 

“Is that all? You seem way too chipper for it just to be about an enchanted rock.”

“It’s more than just an enchanted rock, you heathen, it’s hallowed ground.” the teen snips but then sighs at the cheeky grin the other gives him. “There also were elemental deposits near the haven, I was able to draw essence from them and replenish my powers to full. Also Fociaugh Hollow was near there, and I was able to sense the Fulgurian somewhere close which brings me much joy. Once this trip is over, I wish to travel back and give tribute.”

“Well, that was part of the condition for you to help, so you’ll be able to.” Gladio says and returns to petting his Chocobo who trembles and chirps pitifully.

“Is he still not well?” Noct asks, crouching down next to the prince and the bird, putting his hand out and watches as the bird nuzzles his palm with its beak sluggishly. 

“No, he has refused water and feed, plus he won’t rest. We believe the arrow tip to have been poisoned from how the flesh around the puncture looks. Sadly because of the bandits, they’re short on antidotes to give him.” Gladio tells him as he furrows his brows. “You wouldn’t happen to be able to cast, like, cure magic would you?”

“No, that isn’t my coven’s specialty, we focus on elemental magic. If a Tenebraen mage was about, they’d be able to.” the young mage says but then thinks of something. “But if I were to enchant a vial of the antidote, it would strengthen its potency.”

“You can do that?”

“It’s an ability only the Caelum bloodline can do. We can use our magic to strengthen a tonic, even if it's mixed with another liquid to add more to.”

“Heh, sounds mighty useful. Wish I had something like that after I snuck some of my Dad’s ale and tried replacing it with a bit of water, tanned my hide for that one.” 

“That was quite naughty of you.” Noctis snorts and smiles at the older man. 

“Oh, I’m sure you were so well behaved.” Gladio teases and chuckles along with the mage. “Or even now for that matter.”

“Hmm, campfire tales for later.”

Gladio smiles at the mage, he’s starting to think that this young man isn’t as bad as he first thought and he’s certainly stronger than he originally pegged him. A chirp from his Chocobo drags him away from his musings and back to the issue at hand. 

“So how many vials would you need?” 

“Two, one antidote for the poison and one potion for healing. Also two cups of water for me to mix them with.”

“All right, I’ll go ask Wiz.” the Prince says and stands, looking down at the mage and turning a bit red. “Hey uh, thanks, for all this.”

“Just doing my duty.” 

Gladio goes to track down Wiz, finding he does thankfully have the two items needed. He brings them back to Noctis and watches in awe as the teen enchants the vials after adding in the water, making them glow ethereally and pulse with energy. Gladio administers the medicine to his bird, watching as it slowly settles itself and rests peacefully instead of writhing in irritation. The young Prince sighs in relief and pets the bird’s crown tenderly.

“That’s a good boy Insula, rest easy now.” 

“We should let him recoup for the day, even though we are on a tight schedule your mount deserves his rest.” 

“Yeah, he does. I can check with Wiz about other possible routes we can take, see what the danger level is.”

“Well that won’t be an issue for me, my power is charged up and then some.” Noctis grins and shows off the sparks that emit from his fingertips. “And I’m sure you’re more than capable to smash things that get by me with that big sword of yours.” 

Gladio wrinkles his nose and groans slightly. “I don’t use it to smash, I cut things down with it.” 

“Well then, you think you can cut down a Garula with it for dinner? I’m really craving meat right now.” 

The Prince rolls his eyes. “Yeah, sure. You’ll just have to help me drag it back here and skin it if I do.”

“Umm, no. That’s your job, I’ll start the fire to cook it.”

“Fine.” Gladio chuckles and grabs his sword as he begins to set off to a nearby field where packs of the beast tend to graze. But he stops and looks back in question at the young mage who follows after him. “I thought you didn’t want to help me kill one?”

“Oh, I don’t. But I can’t let you wander away unguarded now can I?”

“True.” 

The two men continue on their venture, stumbling across a pack of Garula along with some Garulets. Gladio scans across the pack before setting his sights on a small Garulet that is separate from the others. 

“Alright, time to get us some steak.” 

“Wait, that’s a baby, you can’t kill a baby.”

“It’s not a baby, it’s a juvenile. Besides, there are five juvenile calfs, four of which are female and the other male. Garula Cows only travel with one Bull for mating purposes and any other males are pushed out of the pack as they reach adulthood where they then go rogue and potentially become aggressive due to an overabundance of testosterone or they’re killed if they try to usurp the head Bull. So taking out the young male calf is the best option.” Gladio says and then looks incredulously at the teen. “You had no issue electrocuting a group of men to death, but killing a Garulet for food bothers you?”

“It’s different when the ones being killed are criminals who were going to harm us.” the teen answers and looks to the Prince with sorrow. “I do understand the need for hunting and killing for food, but can’t it be one of the adults?”

“The cows are too clustered together and some of them have recently given birth or are pregnant since their teats are swollen with milk, I don’t want to cause them undue stress. With the male calf being so far separated from them, they won’t notice me taking him down if I do it quickly.” 

Noctis looks at the tiny calf splashing away cutely near the pond and pouts slightly. But Gladio ignores him and stealthily sneaks through the thicket towards the unaware calf. He comes within a few feet of it, draws his sword, and takes a deep breath. In a quick flash, the prince leaps from cover and stuns the young Garulet with a quick slash with the blunt end of his sword to the top of its head. He stands overtop of the felled animal, placing a bawled fist over his left breast and whispers some words Noctis can’t quite make out. But the teen averts his gaze as the large man picks up his sword again and slices through the back of the calf’s neck, severing its spinal cord. The mage frowns deeply as the older man hoist the beast over his shoulder like it’s nothing and walks back towards him.

“See, that wasn’t so bad, it didn’t even make a sound. You okay now, not gonna cry and go vegetarian?”

Noctis wrinkles his brows and puffs out his cheeks, but stands and begins to walk away. “I thought you only use that sword to cut things down with?” the teen says and turns back to the Prince, a snarky look on his face. “Because it looked to me like you smashed it over the head.”

Gladio grunts and turns slightly red, but doesn’t reply to the younger man and heads back towards Wiz’s where he and a few of the other workers begin to skin the kill. Noctis wows some of the children and young ladies with simple spells that mainly sparkle and crack before he sends a blast of fire into a large bundle of sticks where the meat will be cooked. The group claps gleefully, making the young mage grin and bow for them, then he heads over to the older man as he scrubs blood from his hands. 

“You enjoying yourself?” Gladio asks with a soft smile.

“Yeah, not too bad out here. So many lovely sounds and smells, makes me wonder why we locked ourselves up behind the walls in Insomnia. Being out here makes me feel so alive and exhilarated, like I want to run through the fields and dance.” 

“Well if you decide to do that, just make sure you keep your clothes on.” Gladio teases as he dries off his hands. 

“Hmm, we only do that when it’s a full moon out.” Noctis chuckles and then casts a cheeky look to the other man. “You should join me the next time, I’d think you’d make a great dance partner.”

“Yeah, sounds like fun.” Gladio snorts and goes to sit by the fire where he is pounced upon by a couple young ladies. 

He doesn’t notice the scowl the younger man throws in his direction that becomes more heated as he continues to chat up the women and flirt with them. Noctis eventually goes to join the others by the fire and wedges himself between Gladio and one of the clingy girls, claiming duty as his reasoning and nothing else despite the tinge of pink on his cheeks. They then listen in to the tales spun by the elders as the meat is cooked, with enchanting tales of the old Kings and the battle of the Astrals eons ago that saw the end of a civilization that was reborn into what they know today.


	4. Chapter 4

The sun begins to rise the next morning, with Gladio getting up as well. He quickly cleans himself up and heads out to check on his Chocobo, finding the bird up and eating happily. The prince smiles and pets his mount, getting a nuzzle from the avian.

“I’m glad you’re okay Insula, we’ll have to thank Noctis for helping you. Maybe once we return from Altissia, we’ll take him to the Disc of Cauthess and Fociaugh Hollow, make a nice day of it.”

“Ooh, sounds like a date.” a voice teases.

Gladio grunts out in embarrassment and turns to see the smiling mage standing behind him. “You’re uh up earlier.”

“Hmm, yeah the spirits woke me up, said we should get a move on. I guess a nasty storm is rolling in soon.”

Gladio looks up to the sky and purses his lips. “Won’t be fun getting caught in that.” he says and then nods. “Okay, we can get a move on then after we get some breakfast.”

Noctis happily agrees with him and gives the Chocobo a quick pet before dragging Gladio to find Wiz to procure breakfast. They enjoy a hearty breakfast to get them going for the day and begin to collect their gear as Wiz prepares the Chocobo for travel, including a good brushing and nail trim. The boys say farewell to the group and set off again, taking a shorter but slightly more dangerous route as they continue on their journey to Cape Caem. Gladio keeps vigilant of their surroundings, just in case a beast or bandit decides to strike especially since his bodyguard is a bit preoccupied at the moment. 

The Prince glowers slightly as the young mage unabashedly nuzzles his back again, breathing in his scent deeply. “I can give you my cloak if you want something to huff, even though I can’t fathom why.”

“It’s not your clothes, it’s you. The scent of earth is quite strong today, it’s enticing.” the teen says with his cheek pressed flush against the older man’s broad back. “It’s odd though, neither your Father or sister had this scent.”

“You sniffed my family?” Gladio asks, slightly amused.

“Geez, no. I can sense people's essences. Depending on where you’re from and how you are as a person will determine your scent. Your father smelled of flowers, musk, and blood while your sister was flowery and sweet. The Chocobo farmer smelled woodsy while those bandits we went up against the other day smelled of blood and soot.”

“So why do I smell so strongly of earth while my family smells different?”

The mage furrows his brows as if in deep thought but then shrugs. “I do not know for sure, but I heard there are those who are more closely connected to the Gods and give off correlating smells to them.”

“But why would I have a connection to the Gods, my clan doesn’t believe nor worship them?”

“I don’t know, the elders of the council would probably have the answer.” Noctis says, fidgeting at first but then smiles cheekily. “Maybe after you take me on those dates I’ll take you on some in Insomnia and then you can meet my dad and the elders.”

Gladio stiffens and turns red but doesn’t protest with the teen, even when he shoves his face in between his shoulder blades and sniffs him like a bloodhound again. He just shakes his head and chalks it up to mages being socially inept weirdos due to being locked up inside their walled-off city. They take a short break awhile later by Swainsmere, allowing the Chocobo to rest and drink from the pond while Gladio looks over his map and Noct sits by the pond watching the fish swim around.

“I wish I had my rod, I could catch us something to eat.” the young teen says languidly as he stares at the fish that draw close to the drinking bird only to flee when it pulls his beak away. 

“I have dried fruit and meat in my satchel if you're hungry.” Gladio tells him as he makes marks on his map. “Besides, we’re not staying here for much longer, just giving Insula time to rest and hydrate. Even though he seems healed, I don’t want to overexert him.”

Noctis sighs and flops onto his back, looking up at the sky that has begun to darken ominously. The surrounding area becomes unnaturally silent besides the wind rustling bushes and leaves, putting the two men on alert as Insula trots over to his rider and chirps fearfully. Gladio goes to one of the saddlebags and takes out a large thick pelt that he tosses over their supplies while also fastening it around the Chocobo’s head.

“You have a little rain poncho for your bird?” Noct chuckles as he stands from the ground.

“It’s to keep our gear dry, and I don’t need him getting sick.” Gladio says and looks at the teen crossly. “Got a problem with that?”

“No, I just find it precious.” he says and pats the Chocobo’s beak, getting a nuzzle in return.

A loud crackle signifies it’s time for them to hurry along with both men putting up their hoods, climbing up onto Insula, and setting off. The sky opens and begins to pelt them harshly with rain, the air becomes frigid and their path foggy. The mage begins to tremble and cover his mouth, beginning to retch. 

“Hey, you okay? Are you getting sick?”

“I smell something rotting and greatly evil.” the teen gasps out and tries to force down the rising bile. “Gladio something is not right, we need to get away from here as quickly as possible.”

“I’m trying, but with this fog being so thick I can only have Insula run so fast without fear of crashing into something.” 

The teen wraps an arm around the trunk of the older man’s waist, not out of fear, but protection for the Prince. This makes Gladio’s blood run cold, knowing that if something is causing the mage to act frightened, then something truly troubling is upon them. The Chocobo lets out a petrified squawk and skids to a halt, backing up slowly and chirping nervously. The two men look ahead, watching the billowing fog wrap around the trees, but then glowing red eyes begin to flicker in the darkness as humanoid figures amble forward.

“Shit.” Gladio curses under his breath as he stares horrified. “How the hell did they get here so quickly, Dad said they were up North.”

“I sense daemonic power radiating from them that’s blocking out the areas benevolent spirits, we need to go, now.” Noctis says in a panic. “There is a Haven not far from here, if we can get atop it we’ll be safe.”

“Where?”

Noctis groans and points past the reanimated corpses. “That way. I can try my magic against them, even if it doesn’t destroy them, it may give us enough of an opening to get by.”

“Okay, just like last time.”

Noctis builds up his magic into a ball, tossing it like a grenade at the creatures and watching it explode and engulf them in flames. Gladio commands Insula to dash forward and away, but as they flee they see more and more flickers eyes. The mage again sends a blast of fire into a large collection of the lumbering dead, gasping out as he watches them continue stumbling after them even as their bodies burn apart.

“Gods, I never saw anything like these beings in any of the books my instructors had and they even contained records of things from thousands of years ago that are no longer around.” he says and then points towards a large rock structure that can be seen from beyond the tree lines. “There!”

Gladio presses onward as they emerge from the trees and into a clearing. But they are not safe yet as a large cluster of the creatures surround them from the front. The Chocobo stops and backs up, but as it swings around to find a way to break through, they find they are surrounded.

“Fuck!” Gladio growls out. “Are you okay to cast again?”

“Once more, but then my magic won’t be as powerful and I’ll need to rest or draw from one of the elemental deposits by the Haven.” Noctis says and begins to emit a blue aura, his eyes glowing deeply. 

He calls forth a blast of frigid air to freeze the beings in place. Insula lunges forward and jumps over the frozen corpses and dashes towards the rock formation. The sound of ice crackling catches Noct’s attention, looking back grimly as their pursuers break free. He grits his teeth and forces up his magic once again as he grips Gladios shirt, sending one more blast of his ice magic into the group. Ice spears jut forth from the ground, piercing the bodies of the creatures and holding them in place. Noctis winces as he feels himself weaken and slipping, but a hand tightens around his and keeps him in place. He presses against Gladio’s back and turns his head to the side to watch as the reanimated corpses break free from the ice pikes, with the exception of two that had stopped and began to disintegrate. The teen furrows his brows and looks closely at them, noticing something similar about them both.

“They were decapitated.” 

“What?”

“Two of them dissolved instead of following after us. Their heads were ripped from their bodies by my ice. I think I know how to take them down now.” he says and pushes himself once more to call forth his magic, with a trickling of blood coming from a nostril. Like daggers flying through the air, sharp icicles pierce through the corpses’ necks to detach their heads from their bodies. And like the teen had assumed, the creatures begin to dissolve. “It worked.” 

“Fuck, you’re amazing and I could kiss you right now.”

“Save it for the Haven.” Noctis snickers out but then groans and slumps against the larger man’s back. 

“We’re almost there.” Gladio says and holds Noct’s hand tighter. 

The Chocobo pushes itself to the max and dashes to the rock formation and leaps up to its base, immediately plopping down to allow the two men to slide off onto the rock’s flat surface. Gladio pulls the weakened mage into his arms and takes a quick glance towards the corpses, finding them halted a few feet from the Haven and waiting. He grits his teeth and lays the teen down, removing his cloak and draping it over him as he quickly retrieves a large bundle from Insula’s back end. Gladio haphazardly sets up a small canvas tent, not like it should be but enough to where it covers the two men and the Chocobo from the onslaught of the rain. The Prince sighs, feeling a deep chill cutting him to the bone as he continues to watch his newfound enemy wander about. He then looks to the young mage who is now out cold with Insula puffed up next to him and also resting. Gladio groans and looks up at the sky which doesn’t seem to be getting any clearer, and it being only mid-afternoon. Meaning they were stuck there until the next morning if the rain doesn’t stop within the next four hours. He achily shifts himself and lays down next to his bodyguard and Chocobo, looking at the young teen as he sleeps. Gladio reaches his hand out and softly ghosts the back of his hand against the younger man’s flushed cheeks before pulling away and laying his arms across his chest. 

“Shit, I hope we’ll be alright.”

“We’ll be fine, I’ll protect you.” Noctis mumbles out and inches closer to the larger man, wrapping an arm around him and snuggling into his side. “So warm, smell nice too.”

Gladio smiles at the teen and shifts onto his side, pulling him into his front and holding him. The prince closes his eyes and starts to nod off as the rain pelts against their cover and thunder crackles loudly, remaining unaware of the large looming figure eyeing them from a distance, waiting.


	5. Chapter 5

The storm is still roaring through the area even as nighttime falls, aggravating the young Prince as he glowers hatefully at the corpses walking around the Haven. The sacred rock has proven to be a safe spot for them since the creatures keep a few feet from the base and just amble on by. Gladio groans with his head rested on his knees, looking up to the dark sky to watch lightning spider web through the clouds before a deep rumbling shakes the land. 

“Still hasn’t stopped?” a voice asks groggily.

Gladio looks to the young mage by his side who pushes himself up on shaky arms before stretching out like a cat and yawning deeply.

“No and it’s night already.”

“Damn.” Noct grumbles and leans against the large form next to him. “What should we do now?”

“Nothing at the moment, too many of them around to outrun. Just have to hope it clears up by sunrise and set off quickly.”

Noctis purses his lips and goes silent, his face twitching momentarily before he reopens his eyes and looks up at the older man. “I can faintly hear the spirits, they are deeply afraid of something, but it does seem that the wind is shifting and the storm will clear within the next few hours.”

“That’s good, but we still have these assholes.” Gladio grumps and motions to the walking dead.

“Hmm, yeah and my magic is drained right now. That last blast took it out of me.” the teen sighs but then grins up cheekily at the prince. “So?”

“So?” Gladio questions while raising an eyebrow.

“You remember what you said, back when we were fleeing?”

The brunette grunts and turns red, looking away from the teasing young mage as he nudges against the larger man. “That was, umm, I uh-” he stammers and peeks back at the younger man before looking away again. 

But the Prince breaths in deeply and presses a soft kiss to the other boy’s lips before pulling away and turning even redder. Noctis chuckles at him but then settles and rests his head against the other’s broad shoulder. 

“You’ve never really kissed anyone before, have you?”

“No, I’ve been so focused on my duty to my family and clan that I really hadn’t had the time to interact with others in those types of things. How about you?”

“I’ve kissed others before, done some minor touching, but nothing else.”

“So I guess the rumors of wild sex orgies are a myth?” 

“Those actually happened a few centuries back, but I guess it started to be frowned upon once we began to socialize with the mages in Tenebrae.” Noct says and then nudges the prince. “I have heard though that the clans have a thing for vulgar and debauched parties.”

“Only after a successful pillage or a wedding.” Gladio snorts and then shakes his head. “We’re not as boorish as people think, well not my tribe at least, can’t speak for the others.” 

Noctis smiles and looks to the other man with a softness not before seen. “You know, despite the rotting corpses and the bandits, going on this trip has been intriguing.”

“Yeah, learning about new things.” Gladio says and returns the soft smile. “You’re not as bad as I first thought, I really had you pegged as a snooty lazy brat.”

“And you’re not as aggressive or stupid like you acted when we first met.”

Gladio frowns. “I was really distraught that day, I lost a lot of good men before then that I wasn’t able to give a proper burial to. And I was brought up to believe mages looked at us like cattle to be used for their amusement and then sacrificed for dark magic.”

“I learned that the tribes were nothing more than bloodthirsty heathens who kidnapped, raped, and slaughtered each other for dominance.”

“Guess we were both fed lies about each other growing up.”

“Not entirely, I remember my father telling me bedtime stories about when he had to travel from Insomnia to Tenebrae and had a young warrior as a guide. He said they bickered and fought most of the way but came to respect one another when they found common ground.”

“And what was that?” Gladio asks intrigued.

“They had a love of nature, a thirst for knowledge, and the desire to protect their people.” 

“Heh, kinda like us then.” 

“Yeah.”

The two grow quiet and listen to the rain begin to slow to minor drops against the top of the thrown together shelter before it completely fizzles out and the air grows humid. Gladio sheds his shirt and ties up his hair as the young mage removes his large cloak but stays clothed in his black tunic.

“Damn, I would have thought with the storm a cold front would have rolled in, not end up like this. Feels like Lestallum.” Gladio says as he wipes sweat from his brow. He hears the mage grown and shift around uncomfortably, sweat dripping down from his forehead. “Take off your shirt, I don’t care if you have a puny body compared to mine.”

Noctis looks to him and snorts. “I’m not that puny, I have some muscle.” The teen then lets his eyes wander across the prince’s chiseled arms and shoulders, but also marveling at the expansive tattoo decorating them and his back. “That looks like it hurt like hell.”

“Kinda, but I just gritted my teeth and beard it. It’s a long-standing tradition for the male heirs to get tattooed once they turn eighteen, the females receive facial piercings.”

“That's interesting, all my family does is pass on a ring that increases our magic capabilities to unfathomable levels. I once watched my father implode a large snake woman when she tried to kill me after a failed summoning attempt.”

“What were you trying to summon?”

“Oh I wasn’t, it was a mage who had petitioned for a seat on the council, he was tasked with performing a summoning and then to ensorcell the creature. I had snuck in to watch, but the man couldn’t control the creature and it killed him than sought me out since it sensed my power. Sliced open my back and damn near severed my spine, I was wheelchair bound for a year.”

“Damn that’s terrible. It’s good you survived though.” 

The young mage’s face falls slightly as he shifts around uncomfortably. “Yeah.”

“I was almost killed as a child too.” Gladio says and closes his eyes, remembering the story told to him. “I was seven and strayed too far from the safety of the encampment we were staying at to chase after a wild Chocobo. A Behemoth caught the scent of the bird and devoured it. My dad and a few of the other warriors saved me in the nick of time, but my head was cracked open and I was unconscious for a while. I can’t remember much of anything from around then.” Gladio says and then snickers. “Got a little sister out of it though.”

Noctis chuckles and shakes his head. He begins to fidget again, but with a soft grumble, he discards his top and sighs as he feels a soft breeze brush against his slick body. Gladio peeks quickly at the other’s physique, finding him slender but lightly toned and catching a glimpse of the jagged and marred flesh on his back. He quickly turns his gaze away with a soft blush as the other smirks and looks cheekily at him, but then the young prince furrows his brows and looks around at the surrounding area.

“Hey Noctis, look.” he says and gestures to the landscape.

The young mage looks around, pursing his lips in question before realizing what is going on. “The corpses are gone.” 

“Do you think it’s a trap?”

Noctis closes his eyes and listens to the spirits of the land. “No, they have indeed left this area and moved on.”

“I hope my clan is all right.” Gladio says and frowns deeply. “But if it’s true and the creatures are gone, we should probably set off and try to make up for lost time.”

“Yeah, I’ll go draw from the elemental depositories nearby if you want to pack up Insula. But don’t step off the Haven until I get back.” the mage says and stands.

“Hey I’ll be all right, you found a way to defeat them, so I‘ll aim for their heads.”

“No, you will stay put. You won’t be able to protect yourself if more than a couple assail you.” the younger man tells him and without another word hops off the side of the Haven and cautiously makes his way over to a blue glowing rock formation. 

Gladio grumbles to himself as he packs up the makeshift shelter and their gear before resituating the satchels back onto Insula. He waits patiently for his bodyguard to return and when the teen does, he’s bursting with energy as he lets small ice crystals swirl around himself.

“Isn’t that wasting your magic?” 

“Pssh, no. This is nothing for me, here.” he says and has some float over to swirl around the Prince. “Feels good, huh?”

“Yeah, it does.” Gladio says and rubs at the goosebumps forming on his bare skin. “Okay, we should get going.”

Gladio climbs onto his mount and extends his hand to the mage who looks curiously at him.

“You’re not gonna put your shirt back on?”

“Still too humid, you can put yours back on though.”

“Hmm, I think I’ll play along with your _‘manly ride through the lands shirtless’_ game.”

“Whatever you want.” the Prince chuckles and helps the mage up. “But just think, now you don’t have the hindrance of my cloak and shirt with your sniffing fetish.”

“Ah yes.” the mage chortles and presses his cheek flush against the man’s broad back, feeling him tremble as the icicles caress his skin. 

The two set off into the night, making their way towards a small settlement Wiz marked on their map if they wished to stock up on more supplies while also keeping ever vigilant in case the undead creatures would happen to return.


	6. Chapter 6

The two young men arrive at the Cauthess outpost at dawn, which they are thankful for since with the sun rising comes sweltering heat that even the young mage’s ice magic can keep them cool from. Plus their trip had been slightly nerve racking since every little cracking branch, shuffle of dirt, or shadowed movement put them on edge of being assaulted by the undead; so a few hour rest before heading back out was greatly needed. Gladio decided to first take a stop by the stock station to procure some necessities before heading to the communal bathhouse to scrub some of the dirt and sweat from himself; Noctis chooses to hit up the local eatery after getting some supplies for himself too. The prince cleans himself thoroughly before heading into the bath, stepping into the cool water and sighing pleasantly as he submerges himself to his shoulders. He rests his head back on the granite coping and closes his eyes, thinking about everything that has transpired as of late. The sudden appearance of the undead, the assembly that has been called in Altissia, Insula being poisoned during a bandit attack, running from those creatures, and also being introduced to the young mage. A slight heat creeps up his cheeks as he remembers their first meeting, with them being jerks to one another, but after spending time getting to become more acquainted and surviving two attacks they’ve been getting along quite well; with all their playful teasing, Noct’s nuzzling of Gladio’s back, and then the quick kiss. The Prince turns red and lowers himself further into the water, feeling embarrassed and ashamed at himself. That was his first ever kiss and he messed up, he acted so timidly and rushed it instead of taking his time to enjoy the experience. 

“So stupid.” he mumbles to himself and frowns.

“What’s stupid?”

Gladio gasps and flinches away from the edge, finding a grinning Noctis crouched by the pool with a towel wrapped around his slim waist. 

“Oh uh nothing, just talking to myself.” Gladio says, pink dusting his cheeks. 

“Ahh, I see.” the young mage says and he carefully slips into the water while removing his towel. “Water’s piss warm, want me to heat it up?”

“Nah, I think it’s kinda nice like this with the contrast of the humidity.” 

“I can make it colder then.”

“What if you freeze us?” Gladio asks with a teasing smile.

“Not gonna happen, I’m more competent than that.” Noctis snickers but begins to purse his lips as he looks to the man in the center of the pool. “You just going to stand there or are you coming back over to sit?”

 

“Oh, yeah.” Gladio says and trudges back over, his face still flush as he sits down next to the mage. “So, uh you have anything good to eat?” 

“Eh, it was okay. Not much of a selection for breakfast, their lunch special looks great though.”

“I bet, but we won’t be here long enough for them to start serving lunch.”

Noctis sighs. “Yeah, I know. So where’s our next stop?”

“We keep heading south for now, making sure to avoid Perpetouss, since that’s home to one of the unruly tribes who like to stir shit up. Once we safely navigate past that Taelpar is our main destination and from there it’s a straight shot to Cape Caem. Although there isn’t any stops in between, so either we hope there's another one of those glowing magic rock things, or we take naps during the day and then move quickly as possible at night. If everything works out, we should make it to Cape Caem with two days to spare, but I don’t want to chance lollygagging.”

“I won’t know if a Haven is near until we get close to it, but I could also speak with the spirits to keep vigils for us and let me know if those things begin to appear.”

“I hope they don’t reach that far, it means other areas may have been taken over and its people slaughtered.” the Prince says with a grimace. 

They fall silent, with Gladio lamenting and Noctis in deep thought. The older man sighs deeply but then looks in shock as tiny ice crystals form on the water's surface, moving around like they're sentient and dancing to an unheard tune. They twinkle in the light shining through the sunroof as they pirouette and emerge from the water, spinning in the air and hovering around the awed prince. Gladio reaches a hand up to touch one of the floating ice crystals, feeling an enthralling chill through his body as it dances across his skin.

“Wow, it’s beautiful.” Gladio smiles brightly and looks to the young mage as he twirls his index finger about, willing the ice crystals to flit about. “So amazing Noct.”

Noctis looks to him, his eyes softening and lips perking up into a smile. “I’m glad you like it, you looked really sad before.”

The two look fondly at one another, with a strange feeling building up inside the prince that he hasn’t really felt before. He doesn’t know if it’s from being slightly tired or from the frosty chill in the otherwise humid air, but it makes his heart thump in his chest and his body tingle. Gladio goes to speak, but a loud bang of the bath hall’s door swinging open startles the two men, with Gladio stiffening and Noctis dispersing his magic. A fivesome of rough looking men walk in, chatting about their successful hunt and how to spend their earnings once they return home, and sink down into the water while laughing amongst each other. The newcomers look to the youths across from them, with Gladio feeling a slight uneasiness as they are looked at up and down.

“So, what brings you boys down this way?” one of the men asks as he looks between them.

“Heading to Coernix, need to pick up a package.” Gladio lies.

“Oh, need a guide there?” another man, one with heavy scarring, asks. “Mighty dangerous for two younguns like yourselves to travel alone, especially with those Daemons lurking round at night and now those undead things.” 

“We’re fine.” Noct says this time, face turning menacing as he grabs his towel and stands. 

Gladio grabs his and also stands but stops when he hears the water slosh around behind him.

“Nice ink you got kid, musta hurt like hell.”

“Not really.” Gladio says and steps from the bath, not looking back as him and his bodyguard retreat calmy. “Shit, of course we’d run into _them_.” he mumbles out as he gathers up his clothing after drying off.

“Let me guess, more assholes who your clan has a beef with and may potentially want to kill or sell you?”

“Yup.”

“Great.”

The two men make haste from the bathhouse and quickly head back to stables for Insula. Gladio makes sure everything is secure and in place before turning to Noct and seeing the mage pat around at his robes.

“What’s wrong?” 

“My Gil pouch isn’t on me, it must have fallen off while we left the bathhouse.”

“Go get it quickly, I’ll wait here with Insula.”

“All right, be right back.”

Noctis quickly rushes back towards the baths as Gladio waits cautiously by his Chocobo. Of all the potential rival clans to stumble across, it had to be Perpetouss. Sure they’re close to their Keep, but most of the clan has been banned from stopping at outposts in the area for causing problems. He sighs deeply, fidgeting around nervously until his mount nuzzles him and chirps. Gladio smiles and strokes his bird’s feathers, chuckling as the avian cranes his neck for his rider to scratch his neck. A soft scuffling of a boot snaps Gladio from his action, but before he can react he’s clubbed upside his head and sent crashing to the ground. Insula shrieks and attempts to protect his rider but is struck as well and dazed, chittering painfully. The assailant grabs hold of the unconscious Prince and drag him from the stables towards an awaiting cart outback that is attached to a Garula, where beast skins and other parts are stacked. He and another man hoist Gladio onto the back and cover him as the five from the bathhouse sneak over.

“Hot damn, never expected to come across a catch like this here, must be our lucky day.”

“Let's just get goin before that other comes back, something bout him makes me nervous.” 

“Shit, he’s just a scrawny youngun, probably is some kinda whore from Lestallum the Prince picked up for company.” 

“Ya’ll shut up, we should be headin back to the Keep so we can deliver the goods to the boss and get paid. There's a little lady waitin for me at the bar back at the Keep who I promised I’d buy drinks.”

The men climb up onto the cart, with one giving a whip to the Garula to command it forward and set off just as Noctis rushes back to the stables.

“Found it.” Noct says and then crinkles his brows when all he hears is the soft chirping of Insula. “Gladio?” The mage gasps and rushes to the bird’s side, petting its head softly before looking down in horror at the smear of blood that leads out back. “No.”


	7. Chapter 7

Gladio lets out a pained gasp as he comes to, his head throbs agonizingly and he’s dizzy. He slowly begins to remember what had happened with him and Noct preparing to leave after meeting those hunters but the young mage left to look for his coin pouch and Gladio was struck from behind. He attempts to try and touch his head but finds his arms bound to wooden beams. His clothing has been removed sans his trousers and from what he can make out he’s atop a Scaffolding in full view of the Keep’s plaza where it appears a wild and disorderly party is underway. The Prince grits his teeth and tries to pull his arms free but the ropes tethered around his wrists won’t break. He chokes out a grunt and drops his head, wondering how he’ll be able to get out of this. Will Noctis be able to find where he is? Or even come for him?

“Well, well! It would seem the great Warrior Prince of Duscae has finally decided to grace us with his presence!” a loud voice hollers from below. 

Gladio watches a large and heavily scarred man ascends the steps leading up to him, looking snidely at the bound youth. He lumbers over to the prince, a sneer on his face until he stands before Gladio and swiftly backhands him. Cheers erupt from those below as the man turns to the crowd with his arms raised. 

“So tell me, what should we do with him!? Kill him!? Sell him!? Use him as ransom!?”

Many shouts erupt from the crowd, some calling for his head while others reply to take his kingdom and people for his life. Some even clamor for his death and an overthrowing of his kingdom. 

“Do you really believe you bastards could take down my father and our entire army? Or use me as a bargaining chip?”

The man crouches down and grabs his face, grinning at him. “Of course, if I were to pimp ya out to those perverts from the other clans I could use the money to buy weapons and mercenaries. Or I could kill ya and defile yer corpse, I know yer clan has a thing bout respecting the dead. I’m sure yer ol’ man will do anything to get yer carcass back.” the man says, his grin becoming vile. “Maybe I can trade ya for that luscious little sister of yers, she’s thirteen now ain’t she? Ripe enough to be plucked and tasted.”

“You fucker! Don’t you touch my si-” Gladio is silenced when the man smashes his boot to the top of the Prince’s head followed by a kick to his face.

The man snickers and crouches again, grabbing a chunk of brown hair and snapping his head back. “I think sellin ya will be the most profitable, put that loud mouth of yers to good use. Then once yer all used up and no one wants ya then will slowly let ya suffer until dead, and trade yer body for your sister’s.”

Blood and spit splatters across the man’s face, he groans out in disgust as he wipes his face and looks down at the snarling Prince.

“Little fucker!” the man snaps and harshly slams his foot into Gladio’s stomach. 

Cheers and taunts erupt from the crowd below, calling for the Prince’s blood to be spilled or him greatly humiliated. Gladio clenches his teeth and forces back cries from the beating he’s receiving, not wanting to give these bastards the satisfaction of hearing him in pain. But he gasps when a jagged knife is pulled from the man’s waistband as he yanks Gladio up by his hair and turns to the crowd. 

“Shall I slit his throat and let him bleed out like a beast, or just saw through his neck and remove his head while he’s still alive!?”

The crowd wildly shouts out their demands, but the beheading reins supreme. The Keep’s leader smiles at Gladio, twirling his blade between his fingers before stepping behind him to allow the act to be viewed by all those that had gathered. The man prepares to start sawing through the soft flesh of his captive when a large explosion rattles the entire Keep and startles its occupants. Gladio looks towards the entrance and finds smoke billowing into the night sky as screams echo out until another blast overtakes them. This blast was much closer than before and flames can be seen overtop of the wall separating the plaza from the outer town. The sound of a thunderous crackle rips through the air and the large metal gate leading into the plaza is blown wide open, sending those who were unfortunate enough to be standing near it flying through the air with shrapnel. A single figure emerges from the flames and smoke, his eyes glowing a hellish red while his face remains hauntingly blank. A ballsy man runs at the mage brandishing a broadsword but is impaled through the gut by a spear of ice as the black haired teen steps further inside, keeping his eyes locked on the man standing behind Gladio. 

“You have something that I’m to keep safe and sound, return him to me and I won’t level the rest of this shithole you call home!” 

The man panics and drops his knife before fleeing for his life like a coward, but the little mage grins malevolently and wills the ground to open enough for the man to fall through to only his upper half is visible before closing around him. Noct uses a gust of a wind spell to send himself up onto the scaffold where he looks with relief at the beaten Prince. 

“You came for me.” Gladio gasps out with a soft smile forming on his bloody face.

Noctis’ brows furrow as his face trembles slightly, his eyes losing their menacing red glow and returning to their deep blue. “Of course I did. I-” he begins to say and purses his lips, only for his face to take a playful feel. “I’d miss your stupid face too much.”

“Oh? Not my scent?”

“That too.” Noct chuckles and forms an ice blade to cut through the rope. He quickly catches the older man in his arms as falls forward from being weakened and holds him tightly, resting his head on the man’s warm broad shoulder. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have left your side to go for that stupid pouch.”

Gladio chuckles softly and embraces the teen around his slender shoulders. “Yeah, but then you wouldn’t have gotten to be all stunningly badass and set an entire Keep on fire to be a _Mage in Billowing Robes_ coming to rescue his Prin-” 

Warm and soft lips cut him off as his eyes widen and his cheeks flush in shock. Noctis pulls back and looks contemplatively at the other man but when Gladio softly smiles he does as well. 

“So, if people ask can I just say that was my first kiss?” Gladio asks cheekily.

“Yeah, sure.” Noctis chuckles and helps the Prince stand, holding him tightly as they descend down to the ground. “It’s getting dark, there is a Haven close by or would you rather we return to Cauthess?”

“As much as a warm bed sounds nice now, we’ve lost too much time to head travel back.”

“Camping it is then.”

The two men make their way towards the destroyed opening but freeze and look ahead with utter terror. The corpses of those who were killed in the blasts begin to stand and turn towards them, blocking their path as slowly looming towards them. They back up slowly, with Noct preparing to send a blast their way but stops and begins to tremble. 

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Gladio asks, a deep fear taking over him.

The mage slowly turns his head back towards the scaffolding, eyes going wide in horror. Gladio follows the teen’s gaze behind them and looks in shock at the large one-armed figure standing there, its eyes glowing behind an ornate metal mask.

“So, child touched by the power of the Archaean, we meet at last.” the booming voice of the figure says as he descends the scaffold to stand before them. Noct grits his teeth and stands protectively between Gladio and this newcomer. “Ah, a Lucis mage, how quaint. But I have no qualms with you.”

“If you’re after Gladio, then we have a problem.” 

“Hmph, you have the same sparkle in your eyes as he once did.” the figure says and raises it’s hand, a flaming sword manifesting in its grip. “I do not wish to harm his kin, leave now, or I will strike you down.” 

“Then bring it!” Noctis shouts, his eyes glowing brilliantly again. He creates a large blade of ice and hands it over to Gladio. “Your sword is still with Insula, use this and try to open a path through the corpses while I keep this asshole at bay.”

“Gotcha, but be careful.” the price says and takes the blade in hand.

“Same to you, and remember to take off their heads.”

Noctis sends a blast of fire at the figure as Gladio rushes towards the undead, slicing through one of their necks. The figure blocks the blasts with his sword effortlessly, acting as if the attacks are insignificant and are bothersome. Noctis grits his teeth and wills spears of ice to emerge from the ground and puncture the figure but gasps as the thing breaks free and steps forward. 

“Your skills are impressive little mage, but not enough to fell me.” 

The prince slices through another one’s throat before knocking two to the ground with a perfectly aimed slash. “Noct!” 

The teen wills forth a large ball of fire and explodes it before the lumbering figure to halt him before he runs to Gladio. The two run through the carnage around them, avoiding corpses of the reanimated dead as they head towards the exit and to their freedom. Gladio takes a momentary glance back seeing the large figure standing amongst the flames, its blade is raised and pointed directly at him before it turns and vanishes.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't know if anyone who was reading this over on the Kinkmeme is around, but I posted chapter 14 there. Sorry about my horrible updating regiment, got myself stuck in a corner with all my fills while trying to balance work and the shit ton of projects my instructor has dumped on me. Ugh.

The two had managed to make it to the safety of the Haven, making a joint effort in setting up a shelter and a small fire. Insula sleeps just outside the tent as Noctis places salve over the more superficial wounds on the Prince, both wondering what had just happened at the Keep. Who the one-armed man in armor was. Who was he speaking of when mentioning Noctis’ kin. But most of all, why was he after Gladio and what did he mean by _‘child touched by the power of the Archaean_ ’. So many new questions. Hopefully they’ll find answers once they reach Altissia. But for now, they must regain their strength and make haste to Cape Caem while also avoiding this threat. 

“That should do it.” Noct says and puts the cap back on the salve before resting his head against Gladio’s bare back. “You feeling okay?”

“Yeah, the potion helped somewhat. The salve kind of stings though.” 

“It’ll stop eventually and bring down the swelling.” The young mage wraps his arms around the other man’s torso, pulling him into a deep embrace. “I’m sorry again, I should have never let this happen.”

“Hey, I said it’s okay. You came for me and got me out safely. That’s all that matters.” Gladio tells him as he gently places his hand over the other man’s. “But it also gave us a clue towards these creatures, we know now that they are being controlled by that man. Whoever he is.”

“The only things the spirits say about him is that he is from a time long ago and they are terrified of him. I wonder if he’ll even be able to be stopped.”

“Has to be a way.” Gladio says and caresses the hands on his waist.

“Maybe, might have to do with what he said about you.”

“That still doesn’t make sense though, my clan doesn’t pray to the Six. Why would I be connected to the God Titan?”

“It would make sense, you do smell heavily of his presence. Do you maybe want to take a look at the book I told you about?”

“Not right now, my head’s too jumbled.” he sighs and lulls his head back. “But I do have to wonder, did those things appear at our border because of me? Were my men slaughtered because of me?”

“Gladio.” Noct says softly and holds him tighter. “Don’t think like that. Other villages were attacked even though you weren’t there, so don’t blame yourself.”

“I just, if it is because of me then I-” A rare look of despair forms on the prince’s face, tears misting in his eyes as the thought tumbles in his mind. “I-”

“Shh, just relax, it’s not your fault.” Noct whispers and presses a tender kiss to his nape. 

Gladio sighs deeply. “I’m trying to relax but my mind is racing a mile a minute.”

“Could try cognitive therapy. I use to get horrible night terrors after the Marilith attack and it was used on me. I was even taught how to do it for myself.”

“If you think it will help, then go for it.”

Noctis releases him and instructs Gladio to lay down on one of the pillows, then take slow deep breaths while his eyes are closed. The young mage softly caresses his fingers over the older man’s temple and begins to talk soothingly.

“Picture lush green grass with vibrant colored flowers slowly swaying in a light spring breeze. A sweet scent dances through your nose and you feel the warmth of the sun’s rays kissing your skin. Chocobos kweh in the distance as well as the soft babbling coming from a nearby stream.”

Gladio softly breathes in and out, remembering a joyful time, running through a flower field after a dark-haired woman who turns to him, holding out her arms to scoop him up and twirl him around. Noct stops talking and looks down at the sleeping face of the prince, he looks peaceful decides the swelling from his earlier beating. Hopefully the salve will help lessen that. He softly runs a finger down the older man’s cheek, but stops and purses his lips. He shifts away and removes his robes to where he remains in his undershirt and trousers before returning to the prince’s side and lays down next to him before nodding off into a light sleep. 

Agonizing pain and a pool of blood. Gladio gasps as his blurry vision flits about, seeing a hazy lumbering form looming overtop of him. It’s hot breath causing his skin to perspire as he trembles from fear. So scared, so much pain. He feels a heaviness on his body, crushing the life out of him as he tries to scream for help but he has no breath left. As he feels the stinging in his lungs and the agonizing pain in his body become worse, the ground begins to rumble underneath him. The heavy figure is lifted from his body as a hulking shadow engulfs the landscape. A wretched shriek rips through the air as a rain of a warm unknown substance splashes all around him before a sicking splosh of something landing behind him. The shadow begins to disappear but as it does the land begins to move far away until all he can see is sky. Then it appears, jagged teeth and gleaming yellow eyes. Gladio flinches awake, feeling sweat pooling down his face and body as he pants for air. Consoling arms encompass him and pulls the prince into a gentle embrace.

“Shh, it’s okay. I have you.”

“N, Noct?”

“I’m here. You were having a nightmare.”

“Felt more like an old memory.” Gladio gasps out and rubs the dampness from his brow. “Shit.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“I don’t even know what it is to talk about.” 

“Just tell me what you saw, felt.”

“Pain, heaviness, like I was dying. Then it was like I was lifted high into the sky, where this being stared down at me. It was frightening.”

Noctis releases the larger man and begins to dig into his satchel, pulling out a tome and flipping through the pages. “Is this what you saw?”

Gladio looks down at the image in question, his eyebrows furrowing before he bites his lip. “Yeah, that was it.”

“The Archaean, Titan, one of the six gods who preside over Eos.” 

“But I don’t even remember anything like that and I’m sure my father would have said something.”

“You did say your people don’t worship or even believe in the gods, maybe your father kept it secret for that reason. Or he could have been sworn to silence. I know my dad has some he plans on taking to his grave.” 

“This is becoming a huge cluster fuck.” Gladio says and frowns deeply. “Are you, capable of speaking to the gods?”

“No, only the High Priests and Priestesses can. There will be some in Altissia though, especially since the Hydrean resides there, we can speak with them.”

Gladio sighs out and covers his face with his hands. “But what if that man and those things follow us there?” 

“Then I’ll protect you, no matter what.” 

“Thank you, Noct.”

Gladio becomes solemnly quite, a deep hurt in his eyes despite himself. The teen frowns but gently tips the older man’s face up and presses another kiss to him, first to his forehead then after looking into Gladio’s eyes for hesitation he presses one to his lips. They break away with Gladio resting his head against Noctis’ slender shoulder and sighs deeply as hands message against his back. Neither of the two can fall back asleep and instead sit and talk some more with Noct trying desperately to change the subject whenever Gladio brings up his dead brethren and begins to blame himself. Dusk comes to an end as the sun begins to rise and its rays peek through the slit in the tent’s front. The two redress and collect up their gear before setting out, a forlorn silence befalling the prince. Noct frowns and wraps his arms around the man in front of him and nestles against his back in a consoling manner but it doesn’t bring the other out of his funk. Even when they break momentarily to stretch and rest, Insula will chatter and nuzzle his rider but that too doesn’t perk the man up. They come across a stopped group of traveling vendors, procuring some food and learning about the goings on of the surrounding areas. They learn that the entire Perpetouss Keep was destroyed and it’s inhabitants vanished without a trace. This causes the prince to grimace, knowing that it was more than likely they were taken by that man to be turned into part of his horde. Gladio walks away from the group and slumps against a tree, sighing and feeling his emotions getting the better of him. Despite them being a thorn in the other Tribes’ sides, they were still humans, someone's family and they were turned into those things. Possibly, because he was there.

“Damnit.” 

“Gladio, don’t beat yourself up over it if they were all killed, and not to sound too heartless but good riddance. As I was making my way through I saw some pretty heinous shit, not to mention what the spirits told me they would get up to and how they defiled the land.”

“But they-” Gladio says and makes a disgusted noise. “Doesn’t mean they deserve to become those creatures. That is one of the cruelest things imaginable. I could never fathom wishing that on anyone, not even my own worst enemy. To have your corpse puppeted and used to harm others, it’s sick.” 

“Then we need to get you to Altissia, come up with a strategy, and take that bastard down before he can do this to any others.”

“I know.” The Prince shakes his head and sighs deeply before standing, starting to walk back over to the caravans until his wrist is grabbed. “Wha-”

“Stop thinking about it so damn much, stay positive and continue striving forward.” Noct whispers with the same tone from the night prior. “If you ever get trapped in your thoughts and feel like giving up, think of what you are trying to protect.” 

“I know.”

Noct releases his wrist and lets him walk away. They resume their quest, discovering that unfortunately, no Havens were in the vicinity. So they go with their earlier plan of resting in the morning and cautiously traveling at night. They had been assailed a few times by the undead but managed to take down the smaller groups while out running the larger. But the latest one was a major blow to the young Prince for amongst the corpses was a small child, barely even six. He looks down at the tot, recognizing the brand on the child’s clothing as one of the northern tribes that had been destroyed prior to setting off on this journey. He breaks down, feeling so much pain and anger welling inside he almost just wants to give up but he remembers the words Noctis said to him and thinks of his sister, that if he doesn’t strive forward and help bring an end to this his sister could end up walking around aimlessly like this. So with a heavy heart, Gladio takes his sword in hand and strikes the child down along with other of the creatures. He stands in silence, honoring those he has struck down and praying that their spirits return to the earth. Slender arms wrap around his torso, holding him as he softly breaks down. They continue on but Gladio is finding it difficult to fall asleep, racked with nightmares that even Noct’s therapy doesn’t help. He starts to grow testy and depressed, even going an entire day not speaking to his companion. But the other remains soft with him, listening when he begins to rant but holds him close when he cracks and begins to weep. They come across a small rest station two days later and it takes every ounce of the mage’s mental fortitude to talk the prince into stopping to rest. Gladio steps into the small shop, looking along the walls at the different items for sale. He used to love checking out the assortment of baubles when traveling with his father, but know he barely even cares. 

“Welcome.” the clerk greets. “Anything in particular you need?”

“Not really, just looking.” 

“Where you headed to?”

“Cape Caem.” 

“Cape Caem you said?” an older female says and steps over to the prince.

“Yeah, I need to cross over from there to Altissia by the week's end.” he says with a sigh. “But it’s becoming difficult, I can’t sleep at all and I feel as though I’m about to break.” 

“Are you traveling alone?”

“No, I have a companion.”

“Ah, why don’t the two of you tag along with me and my caravan then, we’re heading that way to stop and procure some Cleigne Darkshells and Mollusks from a rock bed near there.”

“I don’t-”

“That sounds like a wonderful idea.” Noctis says and nudges himself in front of Gladio. “How long would it take for you to travel there with your caravans?”

“Not much more than three days, we usually travel non stop after restocking and trading at an outpost. The drivers trade off every five hours so we don’t have to stop.”

“Great, we’ll travel with you then.”

“Noct!?” the brunette snaps but is shut down by a nasty look from the mage. 

“I’m glad, I’ll let the others know you two will be joining us. We will be heading out tomorrow morning, so go get some rest.” she says and turns a caring eye to Gladio. “Especially you, young one. I can tell by how you’re holding yourself you don’t have much will left in you, and if you are going to Altissia you’ll need to be in tip-top shape.” 

Gladio frowns but nods making the old woman smile and pat his shoulder before leaving. The prince grunts lowly and stalks out of the store with an exasperated teen following after him.

“Gladio, stop. This is the best thing to do, we’ll get there quicker and you’ll be able to rest yourself.”

“This isn’t your mission to make decisions on, you’re just here to make sure I survive.” Gladio bites back but stops and winces when he realizes what he said. “I’m sorry, this is all becoming-”

“I know, and that’s why I did what I did. You’re losing it and that is scaring me. I don’t like seeing you like this.”

“I just, can’t get these thoughts out of my head. Even when I think about my family and my people, it always goes back to the thought that I’m the reason for these things being here. That they could have gone after them too. If I wasn’t at that Keep, then those people would still be alive, it’s my fault.”

“No, if it’s anyone's, it’d be mine.” the mage says and looks up at the confused face of the other. “I didn’t protect you and you were kidnapped. So stop blaming yourself Gladio and please go rest.”

“All right, I’ll go try to rest.” he says and goes to walk away but stops. “Hey Noct, thanks for putting up with my bullshit these past few days.”

“It’s okay, you have a lot going on and you need support.”

Gladio turns back around and reaches a hand to touch the other's face gently. “I am grateful for that and glad to have you by my side.”

“Please go rest now.” Noct says and holds the other’s hand, kissing the tips of his fingers tenderly. “I’m going to speak more with the elder woman, and then I’ll check up on you.”

“Okay, thanks.”


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Upped the rating due to some awkward first-time sex between the boys. Hope it's okay. :{

Sleep, again, had been an allusive little tease to the prince. Try as he might, his mind was just going nonstop and even if he did nod off a nightmare was awaiting him with open arms. The mage doesn’t return until much later, tiptoeing quietly as steps towards the bathroom.

“Noct?” he says groggily and turns to face him.

“Did you get to sleep any?”

“No.” 

“Do you want to give that therapy a try again? You’ve gotten a bit calmer since the last time we tried it.”

Gladio purses his lips but nods. “Okay.” he says and watches as the mage shucks off his robe and shoes before crawling onto the bed. “So what did you find out?”

“They’re a wholesome bunch, family run business that travels to the different outposts during spring and summer trading goods that are not easily obtained for other areas. She was very concerned about you though, said you have a deep anguish in your soul that will only end up hurting you in the long run.”

“How would she know that?”

“She’s a former Tenebrae mage, said she left the convent sixty years ago to travel around and heal the sick around this continent. Fell in love with a young man from a tribe and chose to stay with him.”

“Huh, interesting.” Gladio says and lifts his head to allow Noct to slide his legs under and rests his head in his lap. “Sorry again, for being a dick lately.”

“Just relax.” Noct says and caresses the side of the older man’s face. Gladio closes his eyes and after taking a deep breath, the mage begins. “A beautiful sunny day, running through the grass towards a large pond with the most gorgeous of sceneries around. Large docile beasts graze by the embankment, you stare with wonder at them before the croak of a frog catches your attention. You laugh and try to run after it, almost catching it but it is too slippery and hops away. You’re not sad though, instead, you just splash around and laugh before climbing up a large rock and reveling in the breeze that brushes against your skin. From the top of the rock, you can see far across the lands, places you have yet to explore but make a plan to later on.” 

Gladio’s breath is steady, letting Noctis know he has fallen asleep. He smiles tenderly, but doesn’t move and allows the man to rest on him. But not much more than fifteen minutes later the prince grimaces and begins to gasp for air.

“Gladio? Gladio wake up!” Noct panics and pats his face before giving him a jostle and pulling him into an embrace when he flinches awake. “I’m here.”

“Damnit.” he gasps out and rubs his face.

“Are you alright, what happened this time?”

“I was with my family, we were having a picnic. They were all smiling and acting carefree. But then those things crawled out of the ground and attacked them, they didn’t even try to flee. They just allowed themselves to be killed. Then that armored man appeared and grabbed me by the throat, squeezing the life out of me. But then I heard my name being called and felt a warmth encompass my body.” 

“I wish I knew what else I could do for you.”

“I know you’re trying, that makes me feel a whole lot better.”

“Still, you need to rest. Can’t have you run yourself ragged and keel over, especially if that one-armed man returns.”

“Yeah, but I know you’ll keep me safe.”

“Yeah, I will.” Noctis says softly and pulls him closer, placing a kiss on his head. “I will never let you get hurt again, I care about you too much.” he says, his face flushing. “Gladio, I’ve, um-” 

Noctis stops and fidgets around as his body heats up. Gladio lifts his head up and looks into the mage’s eyes, enthralled by how they seem to glow from the lamp by the bedside. He feels a tightness in his chest, heat in his cheeks, and a pull towards the smaller man that wills him to lean in. His lips feather against the others briefly before they press together in a soft kiss. Noctis’ hands travel down Gladio’s front before slipping to his back to pull him closer. Their kisses deepen, becoming a bit more carnal and needy. Gladio slips his hands up into the mage’s shirt and trails his fingers across his soft skin, feeling the outline of the delicate muscles underneath. They stop briefly, looking at each other in question, faces red and lips softly parted as they pant softly. 

“I really like you.” Noct whispers softly watching intently as the other’s eyes flutter softly as a smile forms on his lips. 

“I like you too.”

“If it’s all right with you, I want to try something different that may help you relax.” Noctis asks with his cheeks turning pink.

Gladio looks into the other’s eyes and catching on to what he’s asking, blushing as well but smiling. “Yeah.”

Their kissing and exploring resumes only stopping momentarily to discard their tops. Noct runs his fingers into Gladio’s thick brown hair, softly moaning as strong hands are drug down his back. Gladio allows himself to be laid back onto the bed under them, panting softly as the smaller man presses gentle kisses to his jaw and throat before leaning up and capturing his lips. They roll over to where the prince hovers over his bodyguard, with the older man looking down questioningly at the other.

“I’ve never done this.”

“I haven’t with another person, but I’ve read up on the subject and experimented with myself.” the black-haired youth says and shifts himself a bit while blushing. “I’ll let you know what to do and ease you into it. Okay?” he asks and gets a slow nod from the other man. “All right. Start kissing softly from my lips and then slowly work your way down.”

Gladio moistens his lips with his tongue before leaning down and pressing a quick kiss to the man under him. He begins to pepper feather soft kisses to his cheek, then trails down his jaw and to his neck. Gladio takes a bold chance and nips a bit after placing a kiss but stops when he feels the man under him squirm and make a noise.

“Was that bad?”

“No, it was good. Just make sure to watch your teeth and not bite down too hard, but that was good.”

Gladio resumes his prior actions, kissing with the occasional nip to the mage’s pale skin and even gently drags his fingers along his slim waist as he moves down further. Noct takes one of the hands on his side and guides it up to his chest, resting it upon his pec and pressing into it lightly. The brunette takes the cue and begins caressing the mound under his hand, even rolling a nipple with his thumb that earns him another moan. Gladio rests his other hand on the mage’s waistband, looking to him in question.

“Am I okay to remove these?”

“Yeah.”

The prince hooks his fingers in the pants and underwear, sliding them down with Noct raising his hips to make their removal easier. The young mage again takes the other’s hand in his and guides him to where to touch. Calloused fingers ghost across his inner thighs as Gladio resumes his kisses along with quick flits of his tongue against the soft skin that gets him pants and coos. He’s so entranced by this, each soft press of his lips against the supple body under him, every little quiver, and each moan that he hears makes a feeling he never experienced before burst forth. But too, it’s calmed his mind. He’s no longer thinking of the towering man and his cryptic words, about the nightmare that feels all too real, or his fallen comrades; just about the man before him, who he had first had animosity for that gradually grew to friendly, and now it’s becoming something more. He moves his hand up to the engorged member laying flush against the lightly toned stomach of the mage, trailing a curious finger down the shaft but his hand is pulled away.

“Not yet, I don’t think I’ll last if you do that.” Noctis pants while sitting up and pulling Gladio in for a kiss. “I’m gonna take over now, if that’s okay with you?”

“Yes, I’m ready.”

Noct takes his time exploring the larger man’s body, lavishing every faded scar he comes across with tender kisses and flicks of a warm pink tongue. Gladio feels his body heat up and a tightness swells in his belly. His legs begin to quiver as his bottoms are slid off but he begins to settle when small hands rub his thighs soothingly. He scans down his own body before looking up at Noct’s seeing the difference between them both. Where he’s sinewy, tanned, and battle-worn; the mage is lean, pale, and lithe. 

“What?” Noct asks, getting a playful smile on his face.

“I’m just surprised how such a dainty little thing such as yourself can blow shit up like you do.” Gladio chuckles and gets a soft swat on his abdomen.

“I trained. Just like you did to get your muscles I did with the elements.” he says and leans in for a kiss, pulling on the other’s lower lip to get him to open his mouth before delving a tongue in. “Keep your thighs apart as far as you can so it’ll make it easier for me.”

Gladio furrows his brow for a brief second before he catches his meaning, turning red and nodding. He watches as the mage grabs for his satchel, rustling inside before pulling a metal container out and unscrewing the lid. He coats two fingers with the yellowish balm before setting it aside and nestling himself in between Gladio’s large thighs.

“Try to relax, I want this to feel really good for you. Try clearing your head a bit, maybe try to picture that place I spoke of.”

Gladio lays his head down, taking slow breaths as he looks at the ceiling. “That was a real place you spoke of.”

“Yes, the spirits whisper it to me whenever you become sad.” Noct says and he slowly begins to rub his finger against the other’s entrance. “They said it was something you would feel most comfortable with.”

“Neeglyss Pond, my parents took me there a lot as a child. I have some of the most fondest memories from th- _ah_.” Gladio bites down on his lip as he feels the finger breech, while not so much painful as just strange.

“Just relax.” Noct says, running his free hand over the older man’s thigh as he slowly works the other one in and out. “Tell me more about it.”

“Huh, _ah_. I, remember being taught to make f, flower crowns.”

“Maybe you can teach me sometime.” Noctis asks as he slowly adds a second finger and presses a kiss to a trembling knee. 

“Yeah, yeah I can do that. _Mmh_. I would chase after frogs before watching my dad f, fish. Then when no one was looking I would climb on boulders to, ah, peer over the land.”

“Yeah, you wanted to travel to those places you saw.” the mage says as he continues working his fingers inside the other.

Gladio gasps and quivers, biting his lips but a soft moan still tumbles out. He looks down as the fingers are removed, seeing the teen wipe his fingers on the bed sheet before grabbing the metal container again. He slicks up his fingers once more, but this time coats his hardened length with the balm. The canister is set aside and Noct leans forward over the prince’s body, pressing a quick kiss to his lips. 

“You still doing okay?”

“Yeah, I feel really good.”

“I heard this hurts at first, but then the pain goes away and it starts to feel great.” 

Gladio takes a deep breath and nods, trying to relax himself as the smaller man shifts himself before capturing his lips again. He feels something pressing against his entrance, a bit thicker than the two fingers were but he remains calm as it begins to slide inside. The brunette gasps and begins to tense despite trying not too, but the other’s movements halt and he feels him caress his face.

“Relax, I’m going to move really slow okay. But if it really hurts tell me and I’ll stop and we’ll do something else.”

“No, it’s fine. Just feels strange.”

They kiss again and Noct resumes slowly inching in, stopping whenever Gladio winces or his breath hitches. He apologizes each time, but the younger man just presses a kiss to some part of his face and assures him he’s doing well. The teen stops once he’s nestled all the way in, taking a few moments to allow Gladio to adjust and calm himself. The prince begins to relax, releasing his grip on the sheets and laying his hands against Noctis’ warm back, gently running fingers across the jagged scars that mar his entire back. Thin hips begin to pull back and slowly push forward, pulling a soft gasp from the brunette and another more throatier one when the act is repeated. His entire body feels tingly and hot, every little movement and touch from the mage sends shockwaves through his nerves, he feels lightheaded but so damn good. A warm mouth encapsulates a small patch of flesh on his neck before it’s removed with a gentle nip and kiss following after. A very odd but sensational feeling hits him in his belly after the black-haired teen adjusts his movements and quickens his pace, one that sends his head lulling back and almost scream but a choke out gasp is all that comes out.

“Gladi- _uh_ ,” Noct pants out, looking down at the reddened face of the man under him.   
“Try, touching yourself. It’ll feel great.” 

Gladio can’t speak, he can only gasp out and grunt along with soft moans, but he removes a hand that he had grasping the sweaty back of the smaller man with and reaches down between them. A flare of emotions rip through him from just brushing against his member and the feeling increases tenfold as he grasps himself and begins to stroke. His deep moans become muffled when Noctis leans down and captures his lips, tongues dancing with one another until Gladio pulls away and cries out in bliss. His nails dig into the soft skin of the other’s shoulder, legs quiver then tense up. A couple more strokes and it’s as if a bright hot light swaddles his entire body, he fights back the scream in his throat and instead pants out raspily with tears streaming down his red and sweaty face. He gasps and attempts to swallow down a pool of saliva, feeling a slight burn as he does. The mage’s thrusts begin to slow down, coming to a complete stop once Gladio’s orgasm subsides. He feels himself become empty as the teen slips himself out and begins to pump his member quickly, gasping and biting his lip hard until he finally comes all over his hand. He leans forward and rests his head and the older man’s chest, gasping out breathlessly before pressing tender kisses to his skin and then leaning up to place one on the prince’s lips. Gladio lays his head down on the pillow, feeling a slight haziness overtake him as his body begins to give out, eyes begin to slowly close and his breathing steadies. Noct softly ghosts a finger down the man’s face, a loving smile tugging at his lips as he leans in and places gentle kisses to the sleeping man’s brow. He carefully slips himself from the bed, tiptoeing on shaky legs to grab a towel to clean himself and the other up with. He blows out the lamp next to the bed and lays down next to the larger man, pulling him into a strong and protective embrace as Gladio finally rests.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still kicking away at this, gotta start working on the next part too. :[

Gladio awakens as the sun’s rays begin to seep in through the curtains, shifting around and feeling a comforting warmth at his front. Noctis is snuggled up against him, head tucked under the prince’s chin and arms wrapped around his torso. The brunette smiles and presses a kiss to the top of the mage’s head, feeling him begin to stir and groan.

“Morning.” Gladio says softly as he raises his large arm from where it laid across the smaller man.

“Hey, good mornin.” Noct mumbles out and rubs at his eyes. “Finally able to sleep?”

“Yeah, I just woke up.” he says and turns a bit red. “I guess what we tried really helped, huh?”

Noctis chuckles softly and leans in to press a kiss to the other’s lips. “How are you feeling?”

“Rested, a little sore though.” Gladio says and sits up. A hand begins to caress his lower back soothingly, a slight heat radiating from it. “Wha? Ah, that, that feels nice.”

“Thought it would.” Noctis says, smiling as he continues to massage the older man’s back. “Should probably get ourselves ready soon to head out with the caravan.”

“Yeah.” the prince says but then bites his lip when he thinks of something. “Hey, Noct? Since we umm, you know, are we together now?”

The mage takes a moment to think while still massaging the other’s back. “I don’t really know. Once this is all over, I’ll have to return to Insomnia since I’m in line to be the next High Priest and you’ll return to your home since you’re the next King. We probably won’t get to see each other again until possibly a pilgrimage to the Disc of Cauthess or Fociaugh Hollow.”

Gladio frowns deeply at this, but it is true, they both have duties to fulfill once this current problem is remedied. It still stings his heart to think that the first person he ever fell in love with, he would have to let go. But Noct pulls him from his thoughts when he sits up and looks at the older man lovingly before leaning in to kiss him.

“But for right now, I want to be with you.”

“As do I.” 

The two young men would have loved nothing more than to have remained snuggled up together for the rest of the morning, but they drag themselves from the bed and get organized before heading out to find the elderly woman. They find the group already up and packing their supplies by the Chocobo stables, the elder woman turning to the two boys and smiling.

“Hello dears, have you had breakfast yet? It’s not good to travel on an empty stomach you know.”

“We had some dried fruit as we collected our belongings.” Gladio informs her and then feels uncomfortable as she scrutinizes him but calms when she smiles pleasantly.

“You seem much more tranquil than yesterday, I take it you were finally able to rest?”

“Uh, yeah, I mean yes ma’am.” the young prince says flustered. 

“That’s good. You have a long and arduous road still ahead of you.” she says and looks to Noctis. “But you have someone who cares deeply for you.”

Noct turns red and looks away, making the woman chuckle as she walks towards the front of the caravans. Gladio heads to the stables to get Insula and repack up their belongings, and once everything is in order the group sets off for Cape Caem. One of the men driving a caravan looks to Gladio and Noct, signaling to catch their attention.

“So what do you all plan on doing in Altissia? Heard a bunch of the tribe leaders are heading there.”

“Have you heard of the creatures that had begun lurking through the night?”

“Yeah, don’t understand why going to Accordo is all that important though since it seems only Lucis is under attack. Could have just gathered everyone in Lestallum, been a lot quicker and easier for everyone.”

“Maybe because this scourge is only facing Lucis, and having the rulers together away from the mainland is safer?” Gladio offers with a shrug.

“Ah, I guess that’d make sense.” he says and then looks to Noct. “So, little mage, how’s it feel not being cooped up behind walls all day long?” 

“Awesome, how do you feel?” the teen asks, getting a snort from the man and a confused look from Gladio.

“Guess it’s futile to hide anything from a Caelum. And to answer your question, it’s liberating.”

“So wait, are all of you mages? I thought they never left Insomnia?”

“Not all. Only me, the old lady, and my twin brother driving the caravan in the back are. We left over twenty-five years ago, had most of our powers stripped, only can use basic spells.”

“Why’d you guys leave?” Noct asks.

“Our mother was one of the council members involved in the coup involving your grandfather and was put to death. People didn’t look too kindly on us, so we asked for exile from your father. He was saddened and apologized for how we were being mistreated but granted us our request.”

“Ah, I see.” 

They become quiet and continue on their journey, taking a couple breaks to give water to the Chocobos and allow them to rest. Night begins to set and the old lady tries to talk the two into resting inside one of the caravans, but they put up a fuss that ends with them huddled inside the middle caravan looking disgruntled.

“Don’t let it get to ya, she has a strong mothering nature to her.” a young woman says as she goes to switch with the current driver.

Noctis cuddles up to Gladio and rests his head on the older man’s shoulder. “Do you think you can sleep alright?”

“I’ll try.” he says and then turns a deep red when the mage looks up cheekily at him.

The teen chuckles softly and leans up, pressing a gentle kiss to the Prince’s lips before resting his head back down and snuggling closer. They do eventually nod off, getting some rest until the caravan halts suddenly and spooking the two. But then Noct begins to bristle and immediately hops off the back to stand with the old lady and the twins leaving everyone else confused and unnerved.

“Noct?” Gladio asks stepping out of the back and looking to his companion in concern.

“This is truly harrowing.” the old woman says, her face growing distressed. 

“Ms. Lenoire, what’s going on?” one of the other travelers asks.

“Nothing you need to concern yourselves with.” she says as the twins return to their stations, but she stops Noctis and holds his face before pressing their foreheads together with her whispering something to him. “Now, go on dearie.”

Noct frowns and returns to the back of the caravan, stepping past Gladio and climbing inside. The brunette looks at him with concern and enters the back, looking to the teen as he sits sullenly with his head drooped between his knees. 

“Noct, what’s wrong?”

“It’s, nothing.”

“It’s not nothing. Something happened, so please tell me.” he says as he sits across from his companion. 

Noctis frowns and groans slightly before looking up at the Prince. “The Fulgurian, is dead.”

“The what?”

“Ramuh, he has been killed.” the mage says, tears forming in his eyes. “There was a large burst of energy a moment ago that then suddenly fizzled out. The spirits that aren't traumatized are mourning his death, but also sending out a warning that more death will come.”

“How could a god die?” Gladio asks in disbelief.

“By killing their human vessel.” Noct says and shakes his head. “Sometimes, when they grow weak or find a human with substantial life essence they’ll connect themselves to them. Once they either regained their strength or the host vessel has grown old they’ll release them. But if the host dies before then, it’ll weaken the astral enough that they can be killed.”

“Was it that armored man from the Keep?”

“Yes.”

“Shit, just what the hell is he up to?”

Noctis grimaces deeply and lowers his head but then crawls over to Gladio and pulls him into a strong embrace. The older man holds the trembling mage tightly, rubbing his back and pressing a kiss to his head. The teen looks up at the Prince, tears tumbling down his cheeks.

“I promise, I will keep you safe, no matter what.”

“I know you will, you’ve done it so many times before.” Gladio says and leans down for a kiss.

Noct rests his head against the other’s broad chest, a look of deep despair on his face.


	11. Chapter 11

Since the death of one of the six had transpired, Gladio has found the young mage to be awfully clingy with him, he can’t even walk away to relieve himself without Noctis next to him. He had thought it was due to the teen feeling depressed and when he had asked him about it all he got was a tender smile, a kiss, and a promise of protection. Gladio gave up his questioning after two days. They make their way down a narrow hill and a lighthouse comes into view, bringing a feeling of relief over Gladio. 

“That it?” Noct asks looking up at the lighthouse atop a large hill.

“Yes.”

“So, all that's left is to get you to Altissia safely and figure out a plan of attack.”

Gladio frowns. “Yeah, it’ll be over soon.”

Noct leans up against his back and presses a kiss to the older man’s nape, getting a smile from him. They travel to the foot of the hill where the lighthouse is perched and bid farewell to their travel companions. 

“You sure you wouldn’t want to stay the night here? It is getting dark and the fishing spot isn’t very far from here.” Gladio offers.

“We greatly appreciate your offer but we must press on.” the elder woman says and smiles at the two boys. “I pray that everything will work out and you will both be safe for the remainder of your journey.” 

“Thank you madam.” Noct says and bows to the elder mage but then looks up in surprise as she holds out a talisman. “What’s this?”

“It will help you if you ever find someone you care about in dire straits, just infuse it with your magic and it’ll activate the talisman's power.” she says and cups the teen’s face. “Even if the others fall, as long as one still remains safe, then so does the world. And one day, the others will be reborn.” 

Noct knits his brows together as he looks down at the talisman, a deep pain on his face. “Thank you.”

She pats the young boy’s cheek then turn to the Prince. “Stay safe and do not stray far from your bodyguard’s side. Even if something were to arise that tries to pull the two of you apart,” she says and looks to Noctis. “stand and fight for one another.”

They nod to the woman and bid farewell to the group, traveling up the hill to where they stumble across a small cabin and see an older man exit from inside. Gladio smiles pleasantly and runs to him.

“Uncle Cor!”

“Gladiolus, you have made it safely, that is great. I’ll send word to your father to let him now.” the man says and looks to the mage with question. “Your bodyguard? Looks kind of scrawny.”

“I assure you, he is quite capable and extremely powerful.” Gladio vouches and signals for Noctis to step forward.

The teen gives a quick bow to the older man. “Greetings, my name is Noctis Lucis Caelum.”

“So you must be Regis’ son then, my name is Cor Leonis. I am one of the Amicitia’s Generals.”

“You know my dad?” 

“Yes, I met him many years ago, he was traveling and needed a guide. Clarus took on the role and I accompanied them until they set sail from the continent.”

“Ah, so that’s how my father was able to hire you, he was familiar with yours.”

“Guess so.” 

“Well then, it’s getting late and you’ll need to set off in the early morning. Go rest up and I’ll have one of the caretakers prepare a hearty meal for you both.”

Cor heads back inside with Gladio leading Insula towards the stables. But he stops and turns to the young mage whose face has become unreadable.

“Noct, something on your mind?”

“Yeah, but nothing you need to fret about.” he says and forces a smile. “If it’s all right, I would like to see the view from the top of the lighthouse.”

“Yeah, just let me put Insula away and we’ll head up together.”

“Okay.”

Gladio takes the Chocobo into the stables, removing the gear attached and taking them to the cabin porch before letting the General know where they would be and receives a key. He leads Noct up the hill to where the lighthouse sits, unlocking the door and leading him inside. They make their ascent to the catwalk that overlooks the sea, with Noctis leaning against the railing and marveling in the breeze that caresses his face.

“Mmm, this is nice. I can catch a faint scent of Leviathan from up here.”

“You sure you’re not just smelling fish?”

Noctis snorts. “Well yeah I smell fish, but that’s not all there is. It’s briny but also fresh too.”

The two men fall silent, watching as the stars begin to speckle the night sky and the moon shines brightly. The sound of waves crashing against the cliffside and the wind drown out every other sound, making Noct feel peaceful. Strong arms wrap around him and pull him into a strong embrace as Gladio rests his chin on the smaller man’s head.

“You’re worried that the armored guy is going to kill all the gods, aren’t you.” 

Noctis sighs deeply. “Yes.”

“Do you know why he’s trying to do this?”

“No, I asked the spirits many times but they just tremble and whimper.”

“I see.” Gladio says and pulls back, turning the mage to face him. “That’s not all, is it?”

“There is something else, but, I don’t know how to say it.” he says and looks down. “Or if I should be the one to say it. I’m afraid of what will come by telling you.”

“Noct, if it’s something important or has to do with everything that is going on, please tell me.”

The teen frowns deeply and places a hand on Gladio’s chest. “You remember that nightmare you had? The one where you were lifted up by Titan?” 

“Y, yeah.” Gladio stammers out, feeling quite uneasy now.

“I, don’t think it was a dream. I sort of had a suspicion but that old woman pretty much confirmed it.” Noct says and clams up.

“Noct?”

“You’re,” the mage says and bites his lip before wincing. “Titan’s vessel.”

Gladio looks incredulously at the teen before snorting. “Yeah, sure, okay. You’re pulling my leg now.” But he looks at the distress on the mage’s face and the unshed tears forming in his eyes. Gladio feels a lump form in his throat and his heart begins to race. “But that, no, that can’t be. We don’t have any connection to the gods, we don’t even worship them. Why would I, I can’t.”

“I believe, that you may have been fatally wounded during the behemoth attack and at the same time Titan was growing weaker for some unknown reason, he then took your body and transferred his spirit into you. Ultimately saving the both of you but also connecting you together.” 

Gladio stares in shock, many emotions and thoughts running through his mind. He begins to stumble back until he is flush against the side of the lighthouse and slumps to his knees.

“But that, can’t. My father would have, then that means that I- Wait.” his voice hitches as tears form in his eyes. He begins to feel sick and clasps a hand over his mouth. “All those people at the Keep, my men, they were killed because of me.”

“Gladio.” Noct says softly and crouches down in front of the older man, taking his hands gently into his. But he doesn’t say anything else, he doesn’t even really know what to say to him. So instead he just brings the man’s trembling hands to his lips and presses a kiss to his knuckles. 

Gladio breaks down, it was true, it was his fault. So many others could have potentially been slaughtered because of him. His sister, the people of his village, Wiz and the other villagers at the Chocobo Ranch, the group they traveled with. Did his father know the truth? Why wouldn’t he tell him this? Was this trip actually to get Gladio out of Duscae, so no one else would be killed? But what would happen once they get to Altissia, would the man follow him there, putting even more innocents at risk? 

“Dammit.” he chokes out and drops his head. 

Noct frowns deeply but leans in and presses a soft kiss to the older man’s brow. Gladio sniffles and looks up at the mage. This man may eventually attempt to kill Noct too, especially if he keeps getting in his way and that would devastate him to no end. Should he maybe send him away or sneak off in the middle of the night to take the boat on his own? He shakes his head and groans deeply, feeling a migraine coming on as he begins to hyperventilate and more tears tumble forth. But another kiss to his forehead pulls him from his thoughts as Noct softly caresses his cheeks.

“Easy your breathing, don’t force it. Focus on me, my voice, and relax.” he says soothingly and presses a kiss to his temple. “I’m here for you, will always be.”

“I just, I can’t think I-”

“I know, relax.” Noctis shushes and pulls him into a hug, petting his hair softly. “It’s a lot to think about, just take it easy.”

“It’s true though, I am the reason my men, those people-” he whimpers and is pulled into a deeper embrace. “Noct, what the hell am I going to do? He’ll keep coming after me, and kill more people, he may kill you.”

“Not gonna happen. We just have to get to Altissia.”

“But what if we’re cornered there and he-”

“Stop.” he says softly. “We'll handle it when we get there, okay? But right now, you need to relax yourself. Come on, let's go back and see if the food is ready yet.” 

“I don’t know if I’ll even be able to keep anything down.” Gladio sighs.

“If not then a nice soak in the tub might help. Please, Gladio.”

The Prince frowns but nods and stands up with the mage, trying to put a smile on his face but it just falls back into a frown. Noctis leans up and presses a soft kiss to his lips before taking his hand and leading him back down to the cabin.


	12. Chapter 12

After the startling revelation from the young mage, Gladio sought out his father’s general, a man who has been in his life since he was a baby. Cor at first brushed the young Prince’s question off, but after Gladio breaks down the man relents and tells him the truth. 

“The only ones who know the truth are your father, myself, Monica, Dustin, and the late queen.”

“Mom.” Gladio says sadly but then looks at his Uncle. “What happened?”

“You had strayed too far from our encampment and were attacked by a Behemoth. We were able to fell the beast and retreat back to camp with you, but, the damage was already done.” Cor says, his brows wrinkling in despair and his lips down turning. “You passed away during the night from your wounds and loss of blood. We were all grief-stricken, but your mother took it the worst and couldn’t accept your death, so she took off to Neegylss Pond where she had planned on drowning herself. There she met a fisherman who told her of a way to revive you but when she spoke of it to your father he refused her and began to prepare to take your body back home where you’d be placed upon the funeral pyre. The queen wouldn’t have it and stole your body away, returning to the fishermen who revealed himself to be the vessel for the god Ramuh. They took you to the Disc of Cauthess and you were offered to Titan.”

“And he made me his vessel.” 

“Yes.” 

Gladio slumps to the floor, a look of extreme anguish on his face. “Why, why wasn’t I told?” the prince says and then becomes angry. “Why the hell wasn’t I told about any of this!?” 

“What did you expect us to say, that you were brutally killed as a young boy by a beast? That you were taken and possessed by a dying god? That you walked around like a decrepit zombie for months and had to be kept locked away since you would scream in agony from the pain you had suffered? That your father grew so distraught he had tried to kil-”

“Enough!” Noctis snaps at the older man, his eyes glowing red from anger. “He deserved to know the truth instead of being lied to.” he says and then his face softens. “Just give him time to process this, and don’t become angry with him for questioning things, this isn’t his fault.”

“I’m sorry, we had been sworn to secrecy, not by your father though, but the gods themselves in order to protect you.”

Gladio stands from the floor, his head down and starts to walk up the stairs.”I’m going to rest for the night, I’m sorry but I don’t feel like eating either.”

Cor sighs and shakes his head, looking to the young mage who glares at him. Noct turns away and heads up the stairs to check on the older man, finding him sitting on a bed with his head down. The teen steps to him slowly and takes a seat on the bed next to him, allowing him to rest his head on his shoulder.

“This, is all too much. I don’t, I don’t know what to think or feel.”

“And that is all right, it will take time. Whenever something tragic happens or you learn something truly harrowing it will take time to overcome. But remember you are not alone and I am here for you if need a shoulder or an ear.”

“I know, thanks Noct.” Gladio says with a sigh and flops down onto the bed with Noctis a few seconds behind. “Can’t believe everything that has happened since those things first appeared at the stronghold. I get sent on a journey to a faraway place I’ve never been to, get attacked by bandits and had my Chocobo injured, trapped by the undead, captured by my enemies, and find out I had died but was taken over by a god. It’s all so much shit.”

The teen frowns. “There are some good things though.”

Gladio smiles tenderly. “The best things actually.” he says and turns to the mage, lacing their fingers together before leaning in to place a kiss on his lips. “So what does being a vessel entail besides being chased down by a homicidal one-armed freak with an undead army?”

“Well you smell like the element your spirit resides over, you’re more in tune with your surroundings; like you with the animals and beasts around Duscae.” Noct says and lays an arm across Gladio, resting his head on his shoulder. “Also depending on which of the gods you are attached to, it will increase specific attributes of power. Like strength and fortitude for Titan, Ramuh was magic and wisdom, Bahamut is magic and strength, and so on.”

“Which of the gods are left? Do any of them not have a vessel?” 

“Leviathan doesn’t, Shiva does though, and we know of Titan. Ramuh is dead, it is not known where Bahamut is, and Ifrit has been dead for centuries.”

“What happened to Ifrit?”

“Apparently he became disheartened by the mages of old for their treatment of the tribes and sought to cause an uprising amongst them. It was said a rogue mage; a member of my bloodline; had left the coven then formed a pact with Ifrit and together along with a Tribal King helped free those who were being persecuted. He was eventually captured along with the King but instead of separating Ifrit’s spirit from him as they could have, the gods chose instead to execute the mage, ultimately weakening Ifrit to where he was killed.”

“And what of the King?”

“Don’t know, it was never recorded.”

“Shit.” Gladio sighs deeply as he strokes the arm across his chest, so many thoughts and feelings building up inside him. One, in particular, pops up and he looks to his companion in question. “You don’t think that man, could be the King?”

“The armored man?” Noct says and furrows his brows. “That, might actually be true. He is seeking out the gods and he mentioned my kin. It would explain a lot but bring up even more questions. Like why now?”

“Maybe he was put to sleep and just awoke, or maybe he discovered where all the other gods are. You said Bahamut is missing, maybe not anymore.” 

“Possibly.” the mage says with an anguished frown but then relaxes and looks up at the older man, pressing a hand softly to his cheek and caressing it. “You feeling any better?”

“Slightly.”

“Do you wish to try and eat something?”

“No, if you are hungry you can go eat. No need to wait for me.”

“I’m fine, I just want to stay by your side and make you comfortable.” he whispers and kisses the man’s jaw before pulling him into a deep kiss. 

Gladio pulls the smaller man closer, running his hand down Noct’s side before gripping at his hip. Noctis moans softly and licks at Gladio’s lips, delving his tongue into his mouth when given permission while ghosting his fingers against the other’s thick bicep. They pull away briefly, looking into each others' longingly. 

“Do you-”

“Yes.” 

Noct smiles softly and leans in for a quick kiss before sitting up and sliding off the bed. He begins to shed his robes as Gladio removes his clothing, tossing them to the floor in a heap. The young mage takes the canister from before out of his satchel and returns to the bed, pulling the Prince in for another kiss. Rough hands caress soft pale skin as soft kisses and nips are lavished upon it as well. Noct gasps out as Gladio pulls one of his nipples into his mouth, flicking his tongue across it as the other is rolled by his thumb. The teen cards his fingers through thick brown locks before pulling Gladio’s head back slightly to allow him to capture his lips before mouthing at his neck. He works his way up to his jaw and then to his ear where he gives a soft nibble.

“Lay on your stomach for me.”

Gladio flushes slightly but does as told, turning and laying down while grabbing a pillow to prop himself up on. Noct throws one leg to the side of the man’s thigh, straddling his legs as he opens the balm. He slicks up his fingers and leans over the man’s large back, pressing kisses across the feathers adorning his back. Gladio gasps softly as he feels a finger pressing and rubbing against him, trying his best to remain calm and not tense up. Even though they had done this once before, he’s still nervous. He winces slightly when the finger breaches, but he settles as his lower back is caressed softly as kisses are lavished all over. The Prince bites his lip as the second finger enters him, cutting off a deep moan as he’s stretched and prepped. Noctis leans over the man’s back, peppering kisses to his shoulder and the back of his neck before leaning up to kiss his cheek then claim his mouth. Once Noct feels he’s prepared enough, he coats his length thoroughly and leans back, grabbing up Gladio’s hips and aligning himself. He begins to slide in slowly, stopping whenever the older man grunts or winces in discomfort before he’s pressed flush against Gladio’s backside. 

“Tell me when you’re ready.” 

Gladio adjusts the pillow under his chest and swallows down a lump in his throat before his breathing begins to even out. “I’m good, just go slow.”

Noct holds the tanned hips in place gently as he slides himself partially out then back in, his breath hitching slightly from the tightness around him. He forces down the deeper moans, not wanting to get caught by those downstairs defiling their Prince but finds it increasingly hard to as their pace begins to pick up. Gladio gasps out, resting his head on the pillow beneath him as he reaches down and grasps his engorged cock, stroking it and panting. 

“Ah, Noct. Huh, harder.”

“You, uh, sure?”

“Yes, yes.”

Noct grips Gladio’s hips a bit more securely and begins to thrust in a bit rougher, biting his lip to stop the throaty groan that almost escaped him. The older man’s moans and cries increase though, body becoming sweaty and trembling from pleasure. He lifts his head from the pillow, face deeply red and tears in his eyes as his pouty lips are slightly parted, soft gasps tumbling forth. Gladio turns to look back at his lover, a soft smile forming on both of their lips as they lock eyes with one another.

“I, I love you Noct.” 

“Ah, I love you too.” he whispers then gasps sharply as he begins to feel his release getting closer. 

Noctis begins to slow down his thrusting until he completely stops, slipping out and pressing a kiss to Gladio’s back while rubbing at his toned sides. He gently pulls at the large man, having him sit back to where he is rested against the mage’s front, lips gently pressing to his shoulder blade and neck. Gladio turns to face him, capturing his mouth in a deep and passionate kiss before straddling the smaller man’s thighs, gasping as he is filled up once more.

“Shit, huh.” he pants out as he remains crouched over the other’s thighs, wrapping his arms around the other's neck as he begins to roll his hips. “Ah, yes.” 

Noct takes hold of Gladio’s rear, giving light squeezes as the Prince continues rocking his hips. Their mouths smash together, muffling the groans and cries as they both begin to get close. Gladio releases one of his arms and strokes himself as he buries his face into Noctis’ neck, mouthing at the soft skin. The young mage bites his lip, preparing to pull out but Gladio keeps him in place.

“Keep going.” 

“It’ll be a mess.”

“Don’t care.” he says and kisses his lover.

They press their foreheads together and ride out their orgasms together, Noct coming first and spilling his seed into the other, then Gladio after a few tugs coating both their chests in strips of white. The two men pant and hold each other, nuzzling their faces and smiling.

“Love you.” Noct says breathily and presses a kiss to Gladio. “I love you and I promise to never leave your side.”

“What about after the journey?”

“I made up my mind, I don’t want to leave you. I will stay and protect you.” 

“Thank you.” Gladio whispers and lays back onto the bed, pulling Noct with him to rest against his chest while stroking his hair. 

They rest in a blissed out state, breathing softly as they slowly regain themselves when Noct decides to start talking again. 

“Gladio?”

“Yeah?” 

“I have to tell you something.”

“What is it?”

“I’m Bahamut’s vessel.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you like, come visit and chat with me on my [Tumblr](https://catlady1986.tumblr.com/)


	13. Chapter 13

Gladio stares with bewilderment at his lover, the words he just uttered slowly sinking in and replaying constantly. He was Bahamut’s vessel? But why didn’t the one-armed man recognize him and why bring it up now? But the thing that hits him first, was what it means for him to be a vessel.

“When you said that monster the mage summoned attacked you, you-”

“Had been killed, I’m just like you, Gladio.” he says softly and strokes the man’s face. “I wanted you to know, so you don’t feel alone in this.”

“I-” Gladio says, a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions going through his mind. “But how did that man not notice you?”

“Bahamut sensed the incoming threat, so he has hidden himself inside me as a safety precaution and uses my magic to create a barrier concealing himself.” Noctis says but frowns slightly. “The barrier won’t last for much longer, but hopefully then he’ll sense me and forgo you to get the proverbial ‘bigger fish’. But too Bahamut will be fully awake then and I can use both mine and his powers to full capacity, I can probably take that man down then, put a stop to all this.”

“I’ll help.”

“No, you won’t. Your safety is my top priority, regardless if you have Titan in you or not.” the teen says and presses a kiss to the other man. “I am your bodyguard and I love you, I will let nothing hurt you.”

“But if you are hurt or injured, then I’ll have a broken heart.” Gladio says and smiles. “Won’t that be a problem?”

Noctis snorts and laughs softly, grabbing the man around his head and rolling them both to where he lays on top of the larger man. “That was cheesy.” he says and leans in for a kiss. “But I’m not planning on dying either.”

“Is there a way for me to draw on Titan’s powers?”

“Yes, but only a bit and to get things started you must first gain his trust. Although to fully draw upon it will take years of training. I still struggle to pull upon all of Bahamut’s.”

“Can you help me get started?”

“On our way to Altissia I can.”

“Thanks Noct.” Gladio says and softly massages his lover’s back, frowning when he traces over the gashes.

The two remain snuggled up, eventually falling asleep despite being messy from their earlier endeavor. But Gladio is able to sleep without the nightmares that usually haunt him from having his lover’s protective embrace around him. Morning rolls around and the two quickly clean themselves before joining the other occupants downstairs for breakfast, getting an amused look from a couple of the handmaids. 

“I think they may have heard us.” Gladio says, a slight grimace on his face as he slowly glances over towards his uncle, the man sporting a slight scowl directed at the mage. 

“Probably heard you.” Noct says and slumps down in his seat, mortified. “You can be kinda loud.”

But the tension in the air is tempered as an older man brings over two large plates filled with food for the young men, a soft smile on his wrinkled face. “You youngins best eat, need to get your strength up before you set off. You’re going to need all you got to get through these coming days.” he says and then turns an admonishing look to the General. “And not wasting it on someone's need to defend his nephew’s honor.”

The two eat in silence for the most part, only speaking when the older man asks them questions. Cor leaves halfway through the meal, returning a short while later to let them know the boat is ready to set sail. Noctis scampers to the boat as Gladio bids everyone farewell, looking surprised as his Uncle presents him with a parting gift.

“Uncle this is-”

“My blade. It is not as cumbersome as the broadswords you use and can slice through most objects like paper, it will do you well.”

“Thank you, Uncle Cor.” Gladio says, an elated smile edging onto his face at the man’s gift and the pat to the head he receives. “I promise to find a way to stop this newfound scourge that has befallen our lands.”

“I have the utmost faith in you Gladio.” he tells the younger man and nods. But before the Prince can’t get too far he calls back out to him. “Should I send word to your father that a wedding is in order?”

Gladio blanches at the man’s words and freezes, only to pick up his pace and dash to the dock where the boat awaits. He nudges Noctis forth and away from where he speaks with one of the maids, ignoring the giggle coming from the young woman as she eyes the two of them knowingly. The sails are raised and the boat sets off, with both young men bidding farewell to their homeland as they make their way to Accordo where it is hoped a plan can be formulated to stop this malady before it spreads and all the gods are killed. Noctis sidles up next to Gladio as the man looks over the railing at the water below, an unreadable look on his face.

“Are you getting sick?”

“No, just thinking.” 

“I see you got a new sword.”

“It was a parting gift from my Uncle.” Gladio says and then purses his lips. 

“So it’s safe to assume by how you reacted he knows about us and said something cringy?” 

“Yeah, I should probably prepare you for the crazy traditions my people have for weddings.”

Noctis snorts and begins to chuckle before sighing and leaning against his lover. “Hmm, probably not as bad as what my coven does.”

The two stand side by side, letting the sea air brush across them and savoring the serene feeling washing over them. Gladio wraps his arm around the younger man, pulling him close before pressing a kiss to the top of his head.

“Are you in the mood to teach me?”

“Sure, come here.” Noct says and leads Gladio towards an open area on the boat deck. “Stand right here, keep your eyes closed, and mind blank. Then when everything goes silent, try calling out to the Archaean and ask him to lend you his strength. He will more than likely try to break you down and taunt you, but do not waiver and keep your mind open. Eventually, you will get through to him.” 

Gladio does as he’s told, it takes a bit, but he is able to drown out the noise around him and hear nothing. He tries to call for Titan but gets no response. The Prince doesn’t give up and tries again calling for the god nestled inside his being, slowly hearing a rhythmic sound akin to a heartbeat. Gladio follows the sound through the darkness, eventually, he feels a power unlike nothing he has experienced before but also a serene calmness like when he would visit Neeglyss Pond with his family. Then a golden light begins to break through the darkness and he hears a gravelly voice begin to speak in tongues he can’t understand. 

“What?”

**_Quid est tibi, puer hominis?_ **

“Please, you must sense this threat that is befalling our land. I need your help.”

**_Vere dignum putas virtutem!? Daemon potest prohibere perdat totum quod remissas arma humanitatis!?_ **

“I-”

**_Stultitia! Et non morieris in conspectu terram hit quidem potes! Puer hominis infirmi vos quolubet hinc, et nolite vocare vobis super me et iterum!_ **

Gladio grows silent and thinks before opening his eyes and coming face to face with the large god. He feels himself begin to tremble at seeing the hulking being before him, but he steels himself and stands strongly, then speaks as if being guided by some unknown being. “No! With your help, I can defeat him. Please, lend me your strength! I wish to protect my people and the land, your land.”

Titan looks down at the young man and nods to him, the Prince’s body becoming swathed in a golden light.

**_Recte puer, ego tibi aliquid de meis viribus commodare._ **

Gladio is snapped from this plane when he stops an ice-sheathed fist from colliding with his jaw, his hand clamping around the appendage and shattering the ice without much effort. 

“Good.” Noct says with a smile as he pulls his hand away. “You were able to break my ice.”

Gladio looks to his palm in question before scowling at the mage. “So your grand plan was to try and sock me in the jaw?”

“I would have stopped before I hit you, but it would seem you were able to reach him.”

“Yeah.” Gladio says and looks down and his hand again, watching as the cuts from the shattered ice begin to slowly heal.

His hand is cupped gently by the other man before he brings it to his lips and presses a tender kiss to Gladio’s palm. The Prince smiles and reaches out to touch Noctis’ face then leans in for a kiss. 

“Having Titan’s strength on our side will help tremendously, but you’ll need to practice to be able to control it still. Don’t need you to do what I accidentally did and level an entire statue by kicking it in anger.”

Gladio chuckles. “How’d that happen?”

“I was a bratty child and didn’t like being told what to do.”

“Was?”

“Ass.” Noct snorts and gives the older man a soft nudge. “Do you wish to try fending off more of my strikes or would you like to relax?”

“I think practicing for now is the best option. I want to learn as much as I can before we arrive.”

Noctis nods and wills up an ice club, hoisting it up onto his shoulder with a grin. “Alright then, let’s get this started.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you like, come visit and chat with me on my [Tumblr](https://catlady1986.tumblr.com/)


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Putting two chapters up this time since it's nearing its end and will probably do the same next week.

The two young men lay huddled together, greatly fatigued from their sparing earlier so now they are watching the stars while on the deck. Gladio’s defense had increased a bit, able to take almost all of the hits Noct threw at him, even though the Prince believed his companion was holding his punches. But he found that while using the power of the god inside increases his abilities, it also drains him, giving him an even greater respect for the teen who has to keep going constantly despite using Bahamut’s power and vice versa.

“You’re quite amazing.” 

“You only came to that realization now?” Noctis snorts as he rests his head against the Prince’s shoulder.

“Nah, knew it for awhile, just wanted to say it now.” he says and rests his head on the teen’s, thinking of something said earlier. “So how do you plan on staying with me, I can’t leave my Kingdom and you’re the heir to your coven. Not unless you have a transport spell and if you do, you are in great need of a smack.”

“Nothing like that exists.” Noct tells him with a smile before letting it slip from his face. “But, basically I’m going to pass my title onto another whom I believe is more befitting.” 

“Is it even that simple?”

“Hmm, not really. I’ll have to petition to the council and deal with my dad being woeful, but it’ll be approved rather quickly since everyone looks to who I have in mind with high regard. Plus I’ll have to give up my family's magic, I’ll still have some though due to Bahamut, but it’ll be limited.”

Gladio frowns at this, knowing that while he is happy the two will get to be together, he doesn’t want the mage to lose his heritage. “That’s a lot to sacrifice.”

“That’s what people do for the ones they love.”

The two smile at one another and share a quick kiss before snuggling back down and looking up at the night sky as the stars twinkle brightly. They spend the remainder of the boat ride when Gladio doesn’t begin feeling woozy, for some unknown reason, sparing and sneaking off for quick canoodles away from the prying eyes of the others onboard after getting teased by the old grizzled boat captain; apparently he had helped on the quest Noctis’ father had taken along with Gladio’s father and another man, with the two snipping at each other one second and subtly flirting the next. But all that is pushed aside when the two take in the site of the majestic city as it comes into view, having a minor sensory overload from all the sounds and new smells. But to they both get a strange tingle inside them, that Noctis explains is the Gods resonating with their kin.

“So the, uh, Hydrean was it?” Gladio asks as they step from the boat.

“Yes, but to, Bahamut is sensing another, the Glacian. Meaning they are here as well.” 

“Who?” 

The teen blushes and gets a cheeky look to him that makes Gladio feel a slight unease mixed with a tiny bit of jealousy.

“Some old friends.”

“Uh huh.” the Prince grumps and hoists up his bags. “Well we should go find where we are staying and then I’ll need to check in for the meeting.” he stops and looks questioningly at the other, finding him with his eyes closed and head tilted upward. “You snuffling the air?”

“Mmm, smells so clean, yet salty.” he says and starts to walk off as almost in a trance.

“Noct?”

The teen stops and turns to the Prince, giving him a reassuring smile. “I’m not going off too far or be gone for long, and don’t worry, the spirits say it is safe here. So I’ll meet up with you in a bit. And do be careful, there are a great number of mages here and they still hold onto past animosities.”

“I’ll be careful.” Gladio says and frowns as his companion walks off. 

He lets out a sigh and heads towards the large hotel where he is to stay, checking in and dropping off his luggage before taking a much-needed shower. But as he washes himself, he starts to feel a strange heaviness in his chest along with a sharp pain. He tries to ignore it and continue to bath, with it eventually subsiding. Gladio leaves the hotel and heads to the meeting place of all the summoned leaders, taking in the ornate buildings and artistry of the city. He gets sidetracked on his way and finds himself coming before a large cathedral, feeling a pull that leads him inside. The Prince stares in wonderment at the interior, viewing all the majestic statues and paintings placed around. One painting, in particular, catches his attention, standing before it and staring with great intrigue. 

“It’s quite enthralling, isn’t it?”

Gladio flinches slightly, turning to a black-haired woman who he hadn’t noticed there before, feeling the being inside him begin to stir. “Oh, uh yeah, it’s hauntingly beautiful.” he says returning to the painting.

“Are you aware what it is about?”

“No, I’ve never seen it before. This is my first time here.”

“Ah, I see, you are from Lucis then. One of the Warrior tribes’ rulers.”

“I’m just a Prince, but yes.” Gladio says and smiles pleasantly, presenting his hand out to her. “My name in Gladiolus Amicitia, crown Prince of Duscae.”

“A pleasure young one, I am Gentiana.”

Gladio looks with confusion at the woman, feeling something strange yet familiar radiating from her. “So what is this about?”

“It represents the battle over a millennium ago when the once enslaved tribes sought to rise against the oppressive mages.” she explains and points to a large silver armor clad being on horseback, leading an army towards a group of mages high atop a mountain. “This was the man they chose as their King, Sorrel Amicitia, or as he is better known, Gilgamesh.” 

Gladio feels an uneasiness fill him upon hearing the name, as though the god inside him is growing agitated. But it dawns on him what the woman said before, looking at her curiously. “Sorrel Amicitia? There was no one in our lineage with that name.”

“He never sired any children and rulership fell to his nephew, Kunal.”

“Ah, yeah I know that one.” he says and then looks at the image of a man being burned in a pyre behind the mages. “What’s going on there?” 

“That was the mage who helped in the uprising of the tribes by forming a pack with the wayward god Ifrit and almost destroyed Insomnia. He was put to death upon capture and Ifrit was also executed by his peers after he greatly wounded them.” she says and looks woeful, pointing to the very top of the painting. There, is the form of a large fire swathed god being pierced and struck down by five others, each with a sword struck through their chests. “There were many casualties and heartache, but the tribes won their independence and the mage’s locked themselves away, only allowing other covens to enter their walls for centuries.”

Gladio marvels at the painting before returning back to the armor-clad King. While not exactly the same, he does resemble the one-armed man seen at the keep, the one hunting and killing the gods and defiling the dead. “That King, would it still be possible for him to be alive somehow?”

The woman looks at him with a slight bit of sorrow etched onto her face alongside guilt. “Yes.”

“How?”

“His body was overtaken by a deep hatred and corrupted by daemons after the mage was executed, morphing him into a hellish being that the gods had trapped inside a stone coffin. He has remained there for centuries, stewing in his misery and has now been freed.”

“And is hunting down the gods for revenge.”

“You are correct, child.” Gentiana says and looks at the young man. “He has come after you, I presume?”

“Yeah, has he with you?” he says, a slight smirk at the taken aback look the woman sports before she too smiles. “Titan sounds as if he’s purring whenever you speak, I assume it’s because you are like me?”

“Not quite.” she says and the room grows cold, becoming stuck in time as everything shrouds in ice.

Gladio stares in wonderment at the woman before him, no longer human but something beautiful and ethereal. “You’re the Glacian.”

“Correct. And to answer your earlier question, he has not. But I fear he will soon.” 

“Can’t you stop him?”

“Unfortunately we no longer have the strength to on our own.”

Gladio frowns. “Is it because of that one dying?”

“Yes and because some of the others have taken human hosts which limits them tremendously.”

“My companion is Bahamut's vessel.” 

“Ah yes, the young mage who came to visit with the Oracle and one of the Tenebraen Mages who travels with her and her brother.” 

This makes Gladio groan with a minor bit of jealousy that makes the Glacian laugh before she returns to her human guise. 

“So is there a way to defeat him? Noctis said it might be possible with the help of Leviathan.”

“I’m afraid even if she were to give aide it would possibly not be enough.” 

“So traveling here was basically pointless and were just expected to lay down and die so this man can have his revenge?”

“I said possibly, young one. There is still potential hope, but the cost of what needs to be done may be too great.”

“And that is?”

“You will know in time, be patient.” she says and then looks at the young man with concern. “Are you feeling unwell by chance?”

“Slightly, been getting dizzy and having slight chest pains. Why?”

The woman looks at him with a softness and touches his cheek. “Titan’s power is greatly hinder being so far from his altar and it will have adverse effects on your body. Do take care not to stress yourself.” 

“Is Noctis going to have these problems too?”

“No, Bahamut has an altar here, just as myself and Leviathan do.”

The Prince frowns tremendously. “I see, I’ll be sure to not overexert myself while here.” He sighs and shakes his head, going to say something to the woman again but finds her gone. 

Gladio sighs again and takes his leave from the cathedral, getting himself back on track as he heads to his prior destination. Or at least he tries, finding the large city to be something of a maze and having to stop once again as the pain returns. As he navigates around, he begins to see other tribe leaders or representatives ambling about along with people dressed in long flowing white robes; assuming these to be mages from Tenebrae. Gladio stops as he hears a familiar laugh coming from a cluster of mages, looking over and seeing the familiar black hair and garb of his companion. The teen stands with a group of other mages and looks absolutely joyful with his arm slung around another young man’s. While he’d never admit it if he was accused to his face, he starts to feel a slight bit of jealously watching him as hangs off the other’s arm gleefully giggling and looking the happiest Gladio has seen the mage. He frowns and goes to turn away but his eyes lock with Noctis’, stopping him from moving. He lets a small smile slip forth and chances a quick wave but the teen just goes rigid and turns back to his group. This causes a different type of sting inside his chest, him fighting the urge to go over and say something spiteful that he’ll immediately regret afterward, so he instead just walks away. 

“How shameless, that a lowly barbarian would think to wave at a mage who holds a higher pedigree them himself.”

This stops Gladio cold, feeling the anger inside overflow into rage. But before he lets it spew forth, a person steps in to mediate the situation.

“It’s not so shameless when the young man in question is acquainted with a rude child who won’t greet them back, or am I wrong Noctis?” a young ornately dressed blonde woman says as she walks towards the gathering, looking admonishingly at the teen and making him shrink back. She sighs deeply and turns to the Prince, a soft smile forming on her lips as she extends out her hand. “I am Lady Lunafreya Nox Fleuret, Oracle of Tenebrae, and one of those called to the summit.” 

He smiles and takes her hand, pressing a kiss to the back as he bows before her. “And I am Prince Gladiolus Amicitia of Duscae, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance my lady.” Gladio says and stands with a smile. “And if I may ask, I am not familiar with the city and have gotten lost, would you be willing to guide me to our destination?”

“Yes, just follow aside of me and you shall have no issue.” she says and leads him away from the group who gawk at them. 

Once far enough away, Gladio turns to her, a slight smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “Thank you for that, if you hadn’t stepped in I would have ended up saying something horrible.”

“And you would've had every right to.” Lunafreya says and shakes her head.

“No, mages and the tribes still don’t get along that well. It’s only natural for him to have ignored me in front of others, still hurts though.”

“And that is why there is still malevolence between the two which needs to end, especially with this new threat.” 

Gladio frowns deeply at this and goes to speak, but stops when he feels a strange pain in his chest. He grips at his front, the sharpness causing him to gasp and crumble to his knees. 

“What is this?” he pants out, gritting his teeth. 

“Are you alright?” the woman asks with great concern, kneeling down and pressing her hand to his clammy cheek. 

“The lady I met at the cathedral, Gentiana, said that because I was so far away from Titan’s altar it wou-” He begins feeling something drip down his chin, wiping at it and discovering to his horror there is blood. His head begins to spin terribly and without warning, he collapses.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you like, come visit and chat with me on my [Tumblr](https://catlady1986.tumblr.com/)


	15. Chapter 15

The air is thick with the smell of fire and death as he rouses awake, hearing pained screams and cries. He’s on a battlefield, one that is both familiar to him yet very much foreign. He looks up and sees a large pyre with a man tied to a beam, feeling his heart begin to race. The man looks up as tears stream down his face and mouths words to him before letting out a scream as the flames travel up his body. He rushes forward, reaching out to the man but stopping and shrieking in agony as the limb is severed from his body. Gladio gasps awake and clutches at his arm in a panic, finding it still attached. He curls up into himself, body trembling terribly as tears trickle down his face. But a tender touch to his cheek calms him down, looking up to find the young blonde woman. 

“Did you have a haunting dream?”

“Yeah, it felt so real though.” he says and rubs the sweat from his brow. 

“Do you wish to speak of it, I may be able to make sense of it for you.”

“I do not wish to burden you with it, these dreams have been a constant as of late.” Gladio tells her and then frowns. “Thank you though.” 

“Very well, but if you change your mind then all you have to do is ask.”

“I will, thank you again.” he says and then looks around. “Where are we?”

“In a side room of the meeting hall. After you collapsed, I called for some guards to carry you here. We still have two hours before the summit is to start, so it would probably do you well to keep resting.” 

“Yeah.” he says and sighs deeply, looking slightly forlorn.

The Oracle lets a soft smile form on her lips as she turns to look at the door. “Ah yes, there is a scolded child waiting to be called in, shall I allow him?”

Gladio furrows his brows and then nods. “Yes please.”

Lunafreya stands and heads to the door, stepping out momentarily before returning with a very sulky and ashamed Noctis along with the mage the teen was hanging off of prior. Noct steps forwards to where he stands before the Prince, dropping to his knees and sniffling.

“I’m sorry Gladio, I allowed myself to be pulled into their antagonism towards the tribes. Then when I saw you I panicked, I was afraid they’d treat you badly and then shun me for knowing you. Can you forgive me?”

“What happened hurt, a lot. Especially after all that has happened between us.” he says making the teen grimace and tear up even more. But then Gladio places a hand on the younger man’s head and ruffles his hair. “I forgive you though, you are still a teen after all.”

“What does that mean?” Noct pouts and smacks his hand away before putting a smile on and wrapping his arms around the man’s neck. “They said you had a nose bleed and collapsed, did something happen?”

“It’s apparently due to me being so far from Titan’s alter which is weakening him and me, at least that’s what the Glacian said.”

“So you met Shiva? Where?”

“At the museum. She also explained more about the one-armed man, his name is Gilgamesh and he’s an ancestor of mine.”

“What?”

“Mmm hmm. Apparently he was so embittered by his companion being executed he became warped by daemons and had to be sealed away, now he’s free and is on a quest of vengeance.” 

“And the four remaining Gods are all here in Altissia, ready to be picked off.” the other mage says, shaking his head and then turning to Noctis. “It would be wise for you to return back to Insomnia, we should also send word to your father on the matter at hand, assure yours and Bahamut's safety.”

“I’m not leaving, I was hired to protect Gladio and swore I’d never abandon him to this scourge.” 

The man sighs. “Very well, I won’t push the issue any further, arguing with you is futile.”

Noctis smiles at the man and then remembers something and looks to Gladio. “I haven’t introduced you two yet.” he says and motions to the other mage. “This is my old friend Ignis, he’s from Tenebrae but stayed with my family as part of an exchange between covens. He’s really smart and can wield both offensive and healing magic.” Noct tells him and then turns towards the mage while gesturing to Gladio. “And this is Prince Gladiolus Amicitia of Duscae.” 

Ignis looks the Prince up and down before raising an eyebrow and returning his gaze to the teen. “So, I assume when you said you found someone, this is who you meant?”

This cause Noctis to squeak and turn beet red. “Umm, yes.”

The man smiles and lets out a soft chuckle. “I see then.” he says and extends his hand in greetings. “It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance then, your Highness.”

“Thank you and it’s a pleasure to meet you as well.” Gladio says and accepts the handshake, but he begins to wince and clutch at his chest.

“Hey, why don’t you try lying down again.” Noct says and gently places his hands on Gladio’s shoulders.

“Y, yeah, I’ll try.” 

The other mage excuses himself from the room, leaving Gladio and Noct alone. The Prince shifts himself and lays down with a deep sigh as Noctis begins petting his hair. Gladio closes his eyes and relaxes himself, falling back to sleep but this time he is not greeted with nightmares. He is awakened when it is time for the meeting to start, meeting up with Lunafreya and the other leaders in attendance. Noctis quickly pulls him into an embrace before he heads inside, looking up at him with concern.

“If you begin to feel unwell, please step out and try to relax yourself.”

“I will, I promise.”

Noctis forces a smile but then leans up and presses a quick kiss to his lips. “I love you.”

“Love you too.”

Gladio heads inside and takes a seat as everyone gathers inside. Once everyone's settled in, a middle-aged woman stands before them at a podium and nods to them.

“Thank you all for attending, I know this is a truly harrowing time and this scourge needs to be stopped before it can spread and claim more innocent lives.” 

“What is it exactly we are facing?” one of the tribe leaders ask.

“A daemon with the ability to raise the dead to do his bidding.” a voice says from the opposite end of the room.

The black haired woman from the museum, Gentiana, or Shiva steps forwards and stands by Lunafreya.

“May I ask who you are?” one of the tribal leaders asks, looking slightly unnerved by the woman.

“I am Gentiana, a messenger of the gods.”

“Very well, so how are we supposed to stop him and his minions? I heard that even after you cut the corpses they get right back up.”

“You need to remove their heads from their bodies, it’s the only way they’ll stay dead.” Gladio pipes up, getting awed looks from those in attendance. 

“That’s good to know, but what about the man? How do we defeat him and what is he after?” 

“He is seeking the death of the remaining gods, which will plunge the world into chaos.” the disguised Glacian tells them.

“So wait, this man is slaughtering our people, who have no connection nor do they worship these gods so that he can hunt and kill them? That is bullshit!”

“Well he probably figured you barbarians were perfect for being mindless killing fighters.” a haughty mage in white snips.

“What was that you bastard!?”

“Enough of this damn squabbling!” an older female tribe leader barks, silencing the two men, and then looks to Gentiana. “Is there a way to defeat him?” 

“There is, but it won’t be easy to do and will most likely result in much death.”

“And what would that be?”

“He will need to be kept occupied until the sun rises which will hinder his powers, then and only then can he be killed. But it will have to be done quickly if the strike isn’t fatal he will heal himself and he has the potential to teleport away.” 

“That seems impossible, how will we keep his interest passed sunrise?”

“By presenting him with the thing he desires most of all and keeping it narrowly out of his reach.” 

Gladio feels his heartbeat speed up and a knot in his stomach. “The gods, I- they will have to use themselves as bait.”

Gentiana looks down sullenly. “Correct.”

“So are all the remaining gods here then?” a mage asks, looking uneased. 

“Yes.”

Gasps and panicked chattering emits from the group as Gladio feels his mind start to become hazy. The rest of the plan is laid out before them, that once the Hydrean can be swayed to join in, the gods will reveal themselves and lure the man to them. Then the warriors and the mages will join together to combat any of the undead that were to appear while the strongest of the group will help keep Gilgamesh contained until dawn. The group is deeply unnerved and unsure if the plan will even work, afraid what will happen should they fail. But to Gladio’s surprise, everyone agrees to do their part in the plan, wanting this scourge to be over so that their family and friends will be safe. The meeting is adjourned for the day so that preparations may start to be made, the group making plans to reconvene the following day. Gladio walks from the room slightly dower, finding Noctis waiting for him with a warm smile. The Prince forces one onto his face but it crumbles away immediately and he lets out a deep sigh.

“Is everything alright?” Noct asks with deep concern.

“Yes and no. There is a lot to discuss.” Gladio tells him but he begins to become dizzy, almost falling over but gets held up by the other man. “Sorry, I’m not feeling well again.”

“It’s okay, let’s head back to our room so you can rest.”

The two men head out, but stops and stare at the gathering outside, them waiting with deep concern as one of the tribal leaders reads a scroll delivered to them by one of their carrier birds. A deep anguish overtakes her, covering her mouth with her hand and choking out a sob.

“Has, another Kingdom fallen?” 

Gladio feels his blood run cold and a clawing pain in the pit of his stomach as he watches the woman try to compose herself enough to speak. But she can’t let the words out and instead turns to him, her eyes locking onto his and he feels his world slowly begin to crumble. 

“Prince Gladiolus.” she says and holds out the parchment. 

He slowly steps forward, feeling his body sway as he makes his way to her. Gladio takes the letter and looks at it, tears brimming in his eyes and heart throbbing terribly. He drops to his knees, feeling all his energy and willpower leaving him. His home, family, and people; were gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you like, come visit and chat with me on my [Tumblr](https://catlady1986.tumblr.com/)


	16. Chapter 16

Gladio lays curled up on his bed in utter shock and anguish. His kingdom had been leveled overnight by the Armored man and his scourge. There weren’t many survivors and there was no word on if his sister had made it out safely, or ended up like their father, dead and added to the man’s army.

He feels an agonizing pain rip through his head, making him grunt and curl up even more. The news had been too much for him and with his body already weakened, he collapsed and was rushed to his room where he could rest. He awoke the next day and hasn’t left the confines of his room since. 

The door to the room opens softly, with someone walking in and carrying a tray of food. Noct sets the tray down on the nightstand and turns to the Prince, looking at him sadly before caressing his face.

“You feeling any better?”

“No, I feel worse.”

“Why don’t you try eating something, it may help a bit.”

Gladio lets a soft sigh escape him and slowly pushes himself up to sit. “Yeah, I’ll try.” he says and reaches over to the tray, grabbing the bread roll there and forcing himself to take a bite. 

Noctis sits down on the bed with him, gently leaning over and resting his head against the older man’s shoulder. “When you’re finished, would you want to take a relaxing bath? I can start the water for you?”

“I, I don’t know. I just, I can’t really think right now. So much has happened and there is still so much to do, its-”

“Then don’t think about it right now, just rest. I’ll go start the water, get it nice and warm. I saw they have scented oils that you can put into the water, so I’ll find one that helps relaxation.” Noct says and leans up, pressing a quick kiss to Gladio’s temple before he heads to the bathroom. 

Gladio finishes the roll and leans back on the bed, taking a deep breath and slowly exhaling, trying to calm himself. But it doesn’t really do much for him as his mind goes right back to the thoughts of his family, his home. The letter said there had been some survivors, but would it be enough to restart up his kingdom and was there even a kingdom to return do? Is his sister alive? Did his father’s generals meet the same fate as the King? Does his Uncle know what happened? Gladio winces and falls back onto the bed, clutching his aching head. 

“It getting worse?” Noct asks, leaning over the other side of the bed.

“Yeah. But I’ll manage.”

“Please don’t push yourself.” he says and leans down, pressing a kiss to the other’s lips. “The bath is ready.”

Gladio slowly gets up from the bed and heads into the bathroom with Noctis in toe. The Prince begins to shed his clothing and then climbs into the tub, letting the warm water and the faint smell of lavender soothe him. He then glances over at his companion, the teen perched up on the counter, kicking his feet back and forth idly. 

“Hey,” he says, getting the mage’s attention. “this tub is quite big, would you like to join me?”

Noct gives him an affectionate smile and slides off the counter, removes his clothing and then carefully steps in. He sits himself between Gladio’s spread thighs and leans back against him, the older man wrapping an arm around him and resting his head against the other’s. 

“Noct?”

“Hmm?”

“If, when, that bastard shows up, please don’t reveal you’re Bahamut’s vessel.”

The teen furrows his brows slightly before sitting forward and looking back at his lover’s face, seeing the sorrow etched on his face. “I already told you Gladio, the barrier hiding Bahamut won’t last long and he’ll be drawn to me then I’ll take him down using both mine and Bahamut’s powers at full strength.”

“But what if that doesn’t work? I, I don’t want you to-”

“Shh,” Noctis hushes him and presses a tender kiss to his lips. “I told you, I won’t be killed so easily. Believe me Gladio. I will do everything in my power to protect both you and myself. We will defeat him and avenge all those lives he stole away.”

Gladio lets a soft sigh escape him and rests his forehead against the younger man’s. “Yeah, once this is over, I’ll gather all the tribe leaders together and we’ll hold a memorial pyre for our fallen brethren.” 

“Mmm hmm, I’m sure that will put a lot of those who lost loved ones at ease.” he says and then sees the other’s face fall further. “Your sister?”

“Yeah.”

Noct furrows his brows. “I wish I could tell you for sure she was all right, but the spirits have grown silent.”

“It’s okay, I’ll just keep up hope that she is alive and is waiting for me to come back.”

“That’s good, it’ll give you more initiative to fight and keep on going.”

“I will fight with all that I have.”

“And I will be at your side fighting with you.” Noctis says and cups Gladio’s face. 

The older man rests a hand against his lover’s, while gently placing his other under the mage’s chin to tip his face up and press a kiss to his lips. Noctis moves in closer, resting his hands against the other man’s chest as Gladio parts the mage’s lips with his thumb then delving his tongue into his mouth. But then Noct stops and pulls away, looking across the larger man before shaking his head and kissing his forehead.

“Noct?” Gladio says confusedly as he watches the teen stand up and carefully step from the tub.

“It’s alright, just take a bit and relax in the tub.” he says and reaches his hand into the water, reheating it slightly.

The brunette looks at his companion in question but Noctis just takes a towel to wrap around himself before collecting his clothing and exiting the bathroom. Gladio frowns deeply and sinks down into the tub, wondering if he had done something wrong. He stays in the tub for around twenty minutes, but he wasn’t really able to relax since his mind would constantly drift to his family and Noctis abruptly leaving. Upon exiting the bathroom though, he discovers his companion is no longer there and his food plate had been cleaned up. 

“The hell is going on?” Gladio mumbles to himself and goes to his satchel to grab out some clean clothing. 

Once dressed, he sits down on his bed with a deep sigh before looking to the sword given to him by his Uncle. Gladio frowns and leans back against the bed, laying there briefly before shifting himself onto his side to face the balcony window. 

A soft breeze blows through, bringing along with it the sounds of the city below and a faint smell of something spicy. It reminds the young Prince of when he was a child and had snuck into the kitchen while the cooks prepared a meal. He smelled the Anak meat being cooked with Leiden Peppers, becoming enthralled with the scent. It was one of his favorite dishes. 

Gladio doesn’t even realize he’s crying until he rubs at his face and wipes the tears away, him then sighing deeply and feeling another headache coming on. An hour goes by before Noctis returns, him trying to be as quiet as possible as he enters the room thinking Gladio is asleep.

“Did I do something wrong?” the older man asks, voice low and tired.

“Oh, sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.” Noct says and closes the door behind him. “Were you able to rest any?”

“You didn’t answer my question.”

The mage lets a soft sigh out. “No, you didn’t do anything wrong Gladio.”

“Then why did you stop what we were doing all of a sudden and then leave?”

“Luna had asked me earlier to stop by to speak with her, I decided to go while you were relaxing in the bath.” he says and then sits down on the bed next to him, looking at his lover with slight penitence. “But too, I know you’re grieving and not in a stable mindset.”

Gladio lets what Noct said sink in and his heart begins to flutter with esteem and affection. He smiles and reaches over to press the back of his hand against the other’s soft cheek. Noctis reaches up and takes his hand in his, lacing their fingers together before pressing a kiss to Gladio’s hand. The Prince leans in and ghosts his lips over the younger man’s forehead, then the tip of his nose, before touching against his chin. 

“I love you Noct.”

“And I love you.” the teen replies back and places a tender kiss to the other man. 

A knock at the door catches their attention, with the mage slipping from the bed and walking over cautiously. He opens the door slightly and glances out before opening all the way revealing the old female tribe leader.

“I wish to speak to young master Gladiolus.”

Noct frowns and looks back at him in question, getting a nod from the older man that it is all right. 

“Lady Hildegard, what brings you?”

“All us tribe leaders are getting together to remember our fallen brothers and sisters.” she says and then looks to him with condolence. “And to pay homage to your late father. We would like for you to join in.”

“I, would very much like that.” he says and stands from the bed. Gladio begins to walk towards the doorway but stops when Noctis gently lays his hand on his arm. “I’ll be okay.”

“You are welcome to come as well, little mage.”

Noct looks up at the older man, seeing him smiling fondly at him, then turns to the woman. “I’d be honored to take part.”

The woman nods and takes her leave. The two men share a soft and sweet look with one another before clasping their hands together and exiting the hotel. They find the gathering of leaders in the middle of the pavilion, facing in the direction of their home continent. One of the tribe elders leads them in a prayer, asking the spirits to guide those taken from their mortal bodies to becoming one with the earth once again. He then asks for the spirits to bless all those who are to fight; both the warriors and the mages; with power, wisdom, and courage as they face off against the impending threat. Then, he looks to Gladio and calls him forth.

“Prince Gladiolus,” the elder begins but then shakes his head. “no, it is King Gladiolus now.”

But the young man frowns and shakes his head no. “Still Prince. Even though my father’s soul is gone, his body is still out there being desecrated. Once I can lay him to rest and return to my kingdom, I’ll have a proper coronation and take my place as King of Duscae.”

The elder smiles and nods to him. “Very well then.” he says and holds the young man’s hands in his weathered and wrinkled ones. “May the spirits protect you, young one.” 

A young tribeswoman steps forward with a small wooden object, a wick placed in the middle. “Prince Gladiolus, if you would.”

The brunette nods and thanks the woman, taking the object and looking at it mournfully. He steps to one of the lit torches and ignites the wick, then steps to the edge and sets it into the water. The object bobs in the water and slowly begins to drift away. Gladio lets a soft sigh escape him and closes his eyes, resting his arm across his chest with his fist over his heart. The men and women from the other tribes join him, bowing their heads and placing their hands over their hearts. Gladio reopens his eyes and looks to the elder, giving him a nod before looking back at Noctis and smiling tenderly. 

“Now then,” the elder says, his thin wrinkled lips forming into a deep smile. “let us go and partake in some fine ale.”

The group cheers loudly before letting joyful laughter escape them and head off to drink the night away. Gladio chuckles softly and looks back at the sea, seeing the faint glow from the wick. Arms wrap around him gently, with Noct laying his head on his back. He turns to face the smaller man, wrapping his arms around him and leaning down for a loving kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you like, come visit and chat with me on my [Tumblr](https://catlady1986.tumblr.com/)


	17. Chapter 17

The two had decided to skip going to the bar with the other tribe leaders, and instead returned to their room. They barely made it through the door before their hands grabbed at each other's body, caressing and pulling off garments as they passionately kiss. They make it to the bed with Gladio hovering over Noct, pressing his lips to his neck and kissing a trail down his front before the mage takes hold of his face and brings him back up for another kiss. Fingers feather against skin, trailing all across each other's bodies and not leaving a single inch un-lavished before taking things further. Gladio’s body heats up tremendously and his stomach feels as though butterflies are swirling about as he looks to his lover writhing on the bed under him. Swollen lips are parted and soft pants escape as he arches his back and rocks his body in tandem with the larger man rolling his hips, slipping in and out of him slowly. It’s such a thrilling and enticing sight, he wonders if this is how he looks when the positions are reversed. Arms wrap around him with one hand tangling in his hair and the other gripping his sweaty back, then Noctis spindles his legs around his lower body.

“You’re, doing great. Feels so good.” Noct pants out then gasps. 

“Should I keep going like this or do something different?” he asks, cheeks flushing from both his body heating up and slight embarrassment that the younger has more knowledge in this department then him.

“Yeah, stop for a moment.” he says and gasps softly as he catches his breath once Gladio stops. Noct pushes the pillows up at an angle against the headboard, then reclines back into a sitting position and gestures for Gladio to move closer. He lifts his legs up and drapes them over the other’s bent arms before resting his hands on his broad shoulders. “Like this, take it slow as you slide back in, then when you feel comfortable I want you to set the pace.”

“O, okay.” Gladio looks down in between them and guides himself back in carefully until he’s all the way in, takes a quick breath and starts to rock his hips. “Ah.”

This new position allows him to go deeper with a slightly shifted angle that must feel wonderful for the mage since he tosses his head back and gasps with each thrust. Gladio leans down and presses his lips against the newly exposed throat, gives it a quick nip, and proceeds to leave little marks all across it. Shifting his hips slightly, he begins to back out partially then snaps back in, then repeats the movement when Noctis reacts pleasantly to it and sets his pace to slow and rough. Chewed nails dig into his shoulders, not so hard to draw blood though as Noctis’ breathing begins to pick up and his body trembles. He reaches his hand down in between their bodies and grips his cock, giving it quick strokes as he begins gasping shrilly. Gladio keeps his pace up and feels himself beginning to draw closer to his orgasm, grunting and sweating profusely.

“Noct, I’m close. S, should I pull uh out?” 

“Not yet, huh, keep going.” he gasps out and continues to jerk himself fervently. 

Gladio does as told and continues, grunting as he rests his head against Nocts shoulder and rocks his hips with some force. The mage’s breaths become coarse and quick before he lulls his head back, gasping and then crying out as he comes all over his hand, continuing to stroke as he rides it out. Gladio manages a couple more thrusts before he slows his movements, sliding out of his lover and then grabbing his own cock, giving it a few quick jerks until he begins to shutter from his orgasm. Both go slack and pant softly, sweaty and hot skin sticking together that starts to cool down from the breeze coming through the open window. Gladio lifts his head off of Noct’s shoulder, nuzzling his nose against the other’s before pressing a tender kiss to his lips. Once they regain enough strength, they resituate themselves and the pillows to where the lay side by side, limbs tangled together as Noctis lays against Gladio’s side who in turn rubs his back soothingly.

“You did quite well.” 

“Well, I had a great teacher.” Gladio chuckles, even getting one from the teen.

They lay in silence, holding each other close and listening to the soft melody playing through the window. But a thought pops into Gladio’s mind, making him grow deeply uneasy that doesn’t go unnoticed. 

“Everything will work out, we will defeat that bastard and avenge everyone who was taken by him.”

“Yeah.” he says but then sighs. “I just, maybe if I just call forth on Titan, you and the others don’t have to reveal yourselves, and he’ll just focus on me.”

“You in the state you are now wouldn’t be able to draw on Titan’s for long and it may not even be enough for him to take notice of. If anything, just me calling out Bahamut would be more than enough.”

“But didn’t that woman say, ‘That as long as one survives, the others will be reborn’?”

Noctis purses his lips and knits his brows. “True but-”

“Noct, please. I know you are more than capable of defending yourself, but that man has already said he will not harm you. If myself, the Glacian, and Hydraean were to all fall, then you’d be the last one left.” 

“I know that, gods I know that but I don’t want to lose you.” Noct says, looking deeply into Gladio’s eyes with determination and love. 

“And I don’t want to lose you either.” 

Noctis sighs deeply and rests his head back down against the other’s chest. “Look, we’ll talk about it more in the morning after we meet up with Luna and Gentiana, okay?”

“Okay.” Gladio says and presses a kiss to the other man’s head. “I love you Noct.”

“And I love you Gladio, now please get some rest.”

Sun rays begin to peek through the window, swathing the two sleeping figures in its light and warmth. Gladio is the first to stir awake, shuffling around slightly before looking down at the still snoozing mage. He smiles tenderly and presses a kiss to his head once again, then carefully maneuvers himself out from under him. 

“Gladio?” Noct yawns out and sits up, rubbing at his eyes.

“I’m here, just going to get cleaned up.”

“Wait a bit, I’ll join you once I’m fully awake.” he says and stretches himself out before cringing. “Ugh, I feel all sticky and gross.”

Gladio turns red in the cheeks and rubs at his neck. “We probably should have cleaned up before falling asleep.”

“Hmm, yeah.” Noct grumbles and crawls off the bed, slumping over to the larger man and wrapping his arms around him before looking up expectantly. 

The Prince smiles and snickers as he leans down, pressing their lips together in a tender kiss. But then he grins cheekily and hoists the smaller man into a bridal carry, walking into the bathroom as Noctis laughs. Their shower goes on a lot longer than they originally anticipated, spending more time pawing at one another than getting clean. They grab something to eat quickly, then make their way to the meeting and find out, to their utter surprise, that all the tribe leaders are already there and looking spry. This was tossed in their face by a very annoyed mage.

“My goodness you two, the band of rowdy drunkards made it on time and yet yo-” Ignis stops and stares at the younger mage, his eyes slitting and a scowl taking over his features. “This isn’t a honeymoon.”

Noctis takes a petulant tone and folds his arms. “Yeah, and?”

“Just make sure you arrive on time when the battle starts.” he sighs out and heads inside. 

“Geez, what’s that all about?” Noct wonders aloud.

Gladio turns red. “You should have probably worn a turtleneck or scarf.”

Noctis raises an eyebrow and goes to look at his reflection in a metal vase, but upon seeing the little love marks he just shrugs nonchalantly. “Whatever.”

Gladio snorts and follows after the mage, taking a seat near the oracle and trying to avoid the bemused looks tossed their way. Once everyone takes their seats, the leader of Altissia goes to the podium and starts the meeting. As expected, the Hydraean refuses to reveal herself and take part in the upcoming battle, leaving the other three gods to play the part of bait in luring Gilgamesh and his horde, then having him chase them throughout the city. The strongest of the tribal leaders and mages will stand guard at the altar and then engage the old King there along with any of his minions while also protecting the gods. The remaining warriors and city guards will keep the undead at bay on the ground, as the mages fight from the rooftops. If it would appear as if their target is preparing to flee, then the gods must tempt him back and keep him contained until dawn, then once he is weakened someone who is quick and strong enough will have to behead him in one fell swoop. The plan seems almost impossible to pull off, more to do with the man fleeing than anything else, but they will do all that they can. Now, it was time to decide when this will all go down.

“I vote for tonight, most of the civilians have evacuated and it shouldn’t take long to get the rest to safety. We can then set up vantage points all around the city and put up markers denoting escape routes and dead ends so no one gets trapped.” one of the mages suggest.

“I also agree.” a gravely old tribal leader says. “While waiting a day would probably do us a bit better, there is no guarantee that bastard won’t show up anyway tonight. And we don’t want to be caught off guard with our breeches down taking a shit.” 

There are some audible groans from the other tribe leaders and looks of disgust from the mages. 

“Anyone else wish to add input or make another, not so crude, suggestion?” the elder woman asks but no one answers up. “So we all agree then?”

Everyone nods or answers her with a “yes”. They all decide to take a momentary break before getting into the nitty-gritty of the battle setup, with Gladio and Noct taking a stroll to the altar. Noctis rushes over to look over the edge to the mass ocean, then closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, exhaling pleasantly.

“And there you go sniffing the air like a weirdo.” Gladio chuckles as he walks over to him and wraps his arms around the smaller man. He rests his chin on top of Noct’s head and looks out across the ocean, thinking of his home and growing melancholy. “Hopefully it will all be over soon.”

Noctis nestle back against him and rests his hands against Gladio’s arms. “It will, you just have to keep faith in yours and everyone's abilities.”

“I do.” he says with a sigh. A sharp pain rips through his chest and up into his head, making him grunt and stumble back.

“Gladio?” Noctis says in a panic, grabbing Gladio’s shoulder’s and helping him slump to the ground. “That pain again?”

“Yeah.” he gasps out and then feels a tickle in his nose, wiping at it and finding blood. 

“Let’s get you back to our room.”

“I’m fine, I need to be at the meeting. I have to fight.”

“Gladio,” Noct says softly and holds his face in his hands. “please. I assure you that you skipping the rest of the meeting won’t hinder the plan. As vessels of the gods, you, me, and the Glacian will need to keep him chasing us until dawn. We really don’t need to fight unless we get cornered and if that were to happen I can knock him back with my magic.”

The Prince lets out a soft sigh, knowing that his companion speaks the truth and decides to stop being stubborn. “All right, I’ll go rest.”

Noct helps him stand and stay upright, leading him back to the hotel after letting one of the others in attendance what is going on. Upon arrival back, Gladio kicks off his shoes and slumps down on the bed, rolling onto his side to face away from the window.

“Do you want me to close the curtains?”

“Yeah, thanks.”

The teen pulls the curtains together, blotting out the light so the other may rest. Noct turns and steps over to the bed, caressing Gladio’s hair softly and then placing a quick peck on his temple. Before he pulls away though, Gladio takes hold of his hand, lacing their fingers together and not letting go. So Noctis removes his shoes and lays flush against the trembling man’s back.

“Try to rest love.” Noctis whispers and presses his lips against the nape of Gladio’s neck. 

Gladio closes his eyes and tries to fall asleep, nodding off briefly before startling awake. He groans and shifts around to face towards Noct, pressing their foreheads together.

“Still can’t sleep?”

“No. I feel tired mentally but my body feels jittery, like I’m ready to crawl out of my skin.”

“Sounds like nerves.” Noct says and caresses Gladio’s face. “Everything is going to be all right, Gladio. I will protect you, just as I promised to your Father.”

“Yeah, I know you will.” he says and takes the other’s hand, pressing a kiss to his knuckles. “Thank you.”

Noctis smiles at him and leans in, placing soft kisses on his lips until Gladio moves in closer and deepens the kiss. They hold each other tightly and continue to kiss, slipping their tongues into the other’s mouth and exploring the wet warmth. But Noct stops and pulls away, looking with worry at the Prince.

“Gladio are-”

“I want to, so go ahead.” he says breathily.

Noctis nods and gives him a quick kiss, then leans back once Gladio releases him and removes his robes. Their clothing is shed and tossed to the floor, the two then laying flush against each other's warm skin. Hands and lips touch all across their bodies, pulling soft gasps and moans as the brush against their sweet spots. 

Once satisfied with exploring, Noctis preps the older man thoroughly and slides in between his thighs, pressing into him completely with a steady thrust. He plants one hand firmly on the bed and laces his other with Gladio’s, then begins to rock his hips. Both men moan and pant, already worn out from their earlier actions, so Noctis knows it won’t take long for either of them to reach their release. Gladio tangles his free hand in Noctis’ raven locks, pulling him down into a passionate kiss and letting small gasps roll from his mouth. 

The mage steadily picks up his pace causing the bed to slightly creak from the movement and Gladio’s panting to increase. Noct releases his hold on the other’s hand and instead grips the bed above Gladio’s head, using it as leverage to rock a bit harder while also keeping the brunette in place. Gladio cries out and then grits his teeth together, sweat begins trickling down his flushed face and his body quivers. Noct lets out a throaty gasp and rests his head down against Gladio’s chest, mouthing about until he comes to a nipple and flicks his tongue across it. 

Thick tan arms wrap around pale shoulders snuggly, holding on as Gladio arches himself up to meet each thrust, making him grunt and moan deeply from the stimulation of their act. His body begins quaking and then he feels a rush of pleasure course through his body, his head lulls back and his mouth opens in a silent scream before he finally cries out, coming across both of their stomachs. Noctis slips out just as he’s about to climax, only needing a couple strokes until he’s spilling his seed across his lover’s stomach. Their breaths are sporadic and raspy, bodies hot and moist, but it did the trick for Gladio lays completely spent, unable to even move his legs. 

“Thank you.” he whispers out and closes his eyes.

Noctis leans in and presses a loving kiss to his lips before carefully climbing off him and the bed. Gladio quickly falls asleep and stays that way even with Noctis cleaning up he stays in a deep slumber. He reawakens sometime later, rubbing his eyes but feeling greatly refreshed despite the slight ache in his lower body. Gladio snatches up his clothing and redresses, then looks to the window and notices something odd. Upon opening the curtain, he discovers something that makes his heart race and a cold chill run down his spine.

It was nighttime. 

Was Noct running late in coming to wake him up? Or had he- Gladio rushes over to the door and turns the knob, finding it locked and not budging. He attempts to turn the lock but finds that it won’t budge either and then it dawns on him. Noctis has locked him inside the room. A whirlwind of emotions form inside him as he continues to fight with the door; anger, fear, understanding. Then he goes stiff, feeling the hairs on his body stand on end and goosebumps to form on his skin. Gladio returns to the window and looks out, seeing a glow coming from where the altar is, then to his horror he hears screaming and watches as magic hurdles down from the rooftops down to where figures fight against lumbering beings. It was happening, the man had come and the final battle has begun.


	18. Chapter 18

No matter how hard he tries to crash into or slam something against it, the door will not break open. The sounds of explosions echo from the open window along with cries of battle and death. Gladio rushes over and glances around, trying to find something, anything that he could grab on to so he can escape and help fight. He notices a lattice board where clematis grows up it in between the room he is trapped in and another. It doesn't reach to the ground, stopping midway and connecting to a flower trough, and jumping down from there may lead to a sprained ankle. 

The other option was to attempt jumping from the lattice board to the adjacent room and escaping that way. Gladio chooses the second option and grabs up his sword before carefully climbing over the balcony railing, psyching himself up and taking the leap. He grabs hold but the boards give way, causing him to plummet towards the ground. But just before impact a gust of wind stops his fall and slowly sets him down. 

“That was quite foolish young Prince, you need to be more careful!” a mage from the rooftop of the other building calls down.

“I will, thank you!” he yells to the mage as he dashes off.

As he rounds the corner coming out of the alley, the severity of the situation becomes prevalent. There are hordes of the undead everywhere and those fighting on the ground are struggling greatly, with each one being felled rising up as another one of the man’s hellish zombies. 

Gladio takes a deep breath and brandishes his sword before running through the streets, avoiding the undead and blasts of magic from the mages on the roofs. He cuts down any of the undead that gets in his path, saying a silent prayer as he trudges onward. The Prince ascends stone stairs that lead to a pavilion, finding a blockade that is keeping the undead at bay.

“Hey Prince, the hell you doing? Aren't you supposed to be defending the altar?” one of the tribal fighters calls to him from atop the barrier, the man dropping a small cylinder that bursts into flames and engulfs the undead.

“I was until my bodyguard decided I shouldn’t fight and locked me up like some damsel in a fairytale.” 

“Aye, the scrappy raven-haired one, seen him arguing with a squirrely fellow mage before this scourge started. Well, better late than never.” he says and motions for Gladio to come over.

The brunette makes a mad dash over to the barrier and leaps, grabbing the man’s arm and allowing himself to be hoisted up. He slaps the younger man on the back with a chuckle and sends him on his way with a good luck before readying up another canister. Gladio keeps running and trying to avoid as many of the undead as he can since he knows it will slow him down to fight and he’s starting to feel a sharp pain in his chest. Suddenly he doubles over, dropping to his knees and gripping his chest as blood trickles down from his nostrils. 

“Dammit.” He winces and forces himself to stand, wiping the blood from his nose and looking onward as a few zombies saunter towards him. Gladio grits his teeth and brandishes his sword, preparing to fight. “Titan, I know being away from your altar has weakened you as well, but please lend me some of your strength and fortitude.” 

The undead warriors descend upon him and with a roar Gladio rushes forward with a surge of power coursing through his veins, swinging his longsword and spinning around from the momentum, severing the heads of the corpses surrounding him and sending those not as close hurdling back from the sheer force. 

Slightly winded, the Prince stands motionless briefly, looking at the devastation of the attack he had just down in awe. After he catches his breath and steels himself, he moves onward towards the altar, seeing smoke and flickers of light every so often along with battle cries and sounds of clanging metal. 

“Hey Prince!? This way!” another one of the warriors calls from atop another barricade, helping him up and pointing at the roof. “You can get to the altar quicker by going over the rooftops, the mages have set up ice planks between the buildings for easier travel.”

“Thank you.” 

Gladio climbs up the barricade further until he can jump up to grab hold of the roof edge and pull himself up, taking a brief moment to look out across the city. It’s utter chaos and destruction. Large spears of ice suddenly shoot upwards into the sky, with countless of the undead skewered and slowly disintegrating into nothing. Gladio feels a strong pulse in his chest and something begins pushing him forward despite the unease he feels.

“That was the Glacian, wasn’t it?” Gladio murmurs to the being inside him, hearing a faint growling reply in his head. “Has the other two appeared?” There’s another guttural response and Gladio lets a soft sigh of relief escape him. “Good.”

He continues on as quickly as he can, only slowing down as he crosses the ice bridges so he doesn’t accidentally slip off the sides, the altar drawing ever closer. But as he prepares to cross the last bridge before the last building overlooking the altar, a mage blocks his path and looks to him threateningly.

“Not another step forward. I have orders from Noctis that if you somehow escaped from the room and made it here, I was to stop you.”

“This is my fight too and he has no right to tell me I can’t.”

“It’s his job to keep you safe and that means out of this battle.” Ignis retorts and then looks the older man dead in the eyes. “Your body is in a weakened state from being away from your homeland and Titan’s altar, you will barely last a minute fighting with our enemy.”

“I’ll play the role of bait for Gilgamesh so Noct won’t have to. He still hasn’t revealed Bahamut and as long as he doesn’t that man won’t harm him. So please, let me through, I want to keep him safe too.”

Ignis lets a soft sigh out and moves out of the way. “All right, just you better not make him cry. I don’t like it when he’s unhappy.”

“I promise I won’t.” 

Ignis gives him a nod and Gladio continues on until he reaches the last rooftop. He looks down and sees the Tribal leaders all effortlessly cutting down the undead, his eyes then shift to Noctis and the black-haired woman locked in combat with the one-armed man as Lunafreya heals a wounded guard from the safety of a barrier. 

“Stop delaying the inevitable and kneel down before my blade so that I may end your wretched existence.” the man bellows and cleaves a pillar of ice in half before pointing his blade at Noctis. “And you little mage, as I stated before I have no qualms with you, so bring me the Archaean.”

“I will never let you get your damn hand on him.” Noctis snarls and lobs a wind spell that sends the man hurdling into a pillar. 

Gilgamesh shrugs off the attack lumbers forward towards the Glacian, fending off every blast she sends his way. Gladio takes this moment to carefully descend from the roof down to the ground, stealthily traveling closer so he can gauge the situation at hand. The one-armed man dodges another blast of magic from the two fighters and lunges forward, striking at the Glacian and slashing her across her chest. 

She lets out a cry and stumbles back before willing ice spikes to shoot upwards and skewer the man. He dangles there unmoving before sliding himself up and off the spikes, then using his immense strength strikes the pillars and shatters them into small ice crystals. As soon as he lands onto the ground, he charges back towards the downed Astral until Noctis jumps in his path and brandishes a long cord of fire like a whip, catching Gilgamesh by a leg and slamming him into the ground where he is then pierced by hundreds of ice needles. 

The armored man just brushes off the attacks and continues his relentless assault against Shiva while also fending off the young mage’s attacks. He finally seems to have had enough and turns one of their attacks back on them, pointing his blade at the mage’s throat.

“I grow tired of your stalling, bring me the Archaean or I’ll burn this city and kill everyone I cross until I find him.”

“No need, I’m here.” Gladio says as he emerges from where he was hunkered down. 

“Gladio no!” Noct snaps, looking angry but anguished.

“Ah, there you are.” the man says and turns his head to the side slightly, the red glow from his helmet dimming. “How odd, I didn’t sense you at all, someone must have been covering it up. No matter, your life ends here, boy.” 

Gladio brandishes his sword and stands with a defensive posture, watching for any signs of movement. “Alright Titan, let's finish this.” he says to the being inside, getting a growl of agreement. 

Gilgamesh takes the initiative and lunges forward, swinging his blade at the young Prince and getting blocked by him with ease.

“Impressive, you seem to have gained false strength from that damnable god, but no matter,” he says and delivers a powerful kick to Gladio’s gut, knocking him back. “it still will not be enough to save you.”

The man goes into full-blown attack mode, trading strikes with the Tribal Prince until a stone coffin shoots up from the ground and encases the one-armed fiend. Noctis uses this moment to rush to Gladio’s side, giving him a look of anger.

“You and I will need to have a long talk after this.”

“Funny, I was going to say the same thing.” Gladio retorts, giving the snippy mage a playful grin. 

Noctis’ face morphs from annoyed to somber. “I did it to protect you.”

“Wouldn’t have done me a lick of good if he went on a rampage and destroyed buildings in his search.” 

“Not if he had a more desirable piece of bait dangled in front of him.” 

“Noct, please don’t-”

“It’s going to happen soon and not by my own choice. The barrier is at its threshold and it won’t be long before-”

The stone coffin bursts into rubble and Gilgamesh appears suddenly behind the two men, his sword held up to strike. In the blink of an eye, Gladio is shoved back as the blade slices horizontally, cutting across Noctis’ face instead of its intended target; the Prince’s throat. 

Gladio stares in stunned terror as blood splatters across the stone street, Noct slumping marginally before there is a hellish yell and an immense burst of energy sends hurdling him over one hundred meters away through multiple structures. Goosebumps form on Gladio’s skin at the insurmountable power radiating from the mage standing before him.

“Noct?” the Prince gasps out, eyes widening in awe as the teen looks back at him, seeing his eyes glowing a bright purple. But then Gladio’s stomach drops when he sees the gash that runs across the mage’s face, starting from one cheek traveling over the bridge of his nose to the other cheek. “You’re wounded badly.”

“It’s fine.” he says and wipes the blood away, only for it to start again. Noct then goes rigid and stares menacingly at the cloud of debris as a large figure lumbers forward.

“You traitorous bastard, how dare you sully your ancestor's bloodline by becoming one with the cretin who ordered his execution. Do you not care? Have you no shame, mage?”

“Hmm, nope.” the teen says with a touch of callous and summons forth two blades made of magic, one of crackling electricity and the other of shimmering light. “Don’t give two shits about that.”

“Arrogant welp. I shall take great pride in making you suffer before I end your abhorrent existence.” the man says and chuckles malevolently. “So let's start with something truly painful, shall we?”

The teen goes wide-eyed and turns quickly back to Gladio, seeing the Prince staring at him mournfully with his hand on his stomach were a blade protrudes through. It is pulled out with a sickening squelch, blood immediately gushing out as Gladio turns pale and gasps. He falls to his knees and slowly turns his head around, seeing the reanimated corpse of his Father brandishing his sword and looking down at him with stone cold eyes.


	19. Chapter 19

Noctis goes to rush to his companion’s side but the mage is knocked harshly away by Gilgamesh, the Daemon King chasing after him with determined rage. Gladio lets out a soft grunt, hand over his wound and stares up at his Father, the man looking just as he last remembers him with the exception of the dullness of his eyes and the gaping wound in the center of his chest. 

“Dad.” the Prince whimpers out.

But the former King does not acknowledge his son as he raises his sword, preparing to strike him down. Gladio waivers, a small voice in the back of his mind telling he’d be better off dead, that if it wasn’t for him so many would still be alive. 

“Gladio focus!” 

Gladio snaps out of his stupor just in the nick of time, raising his sword to block the attack. He uses a burst of strength to knock his Father back but the pain in his chest causes him to stumble and unable to block the sweeping kick by his elder that makes him fall backward. Despite being dead, it would seem the King still has his strength and battle prowess, and thankfully some of his honor as a warrior for he doesn’t strike the boy until he stands ready. Gladio wonders if maybe, a small part of his Father was still in there, breaking free from Gilgamesh's control. 

“Dad, listen to me, please.” Gladio pleads and parries another strike. “Don’t let him use you as his puppet, please Dad.” 

The once great King doesn’t even seem to acknowledge his Son and continues to barrage him with powerful attacks, managing to slice Gladio’s arm and thigh open adding to his wounds. He dodges another strike and steals a quick glance back at Noctis, seeing the mage locked in heated combat with the armored-man, them exchanging violent blow after violent blow with neither gaining the upper hand. While he still wishes Noct didn’t have to of revealed himself, he may just be able to keep the Daemon King occupied long enough for dawn to come, that being about four hours out. 

The reanimated King once again delivers a fierce cut to his Son, this time to his side. The pain and blood loss begins to become too much, with Gladio faltering and gasping out as he continues to try and evade. Finally, he falls to his knees, with his elder raising his sword to strike but as soon as he slashes down a shield of ice manifests in between them, blocking the attack to the Prince and encasing his arm. Gladio looks stunned at first until he sees the Glacian from inside the protective barrier manifested by the Oracle and a few other mages. 

“Thank you.” he mouths to her, getting a nod in return before she slowly collapses, her energy waning. 

Gladio forces himself up and brandishes his sword and newly crafted shield, feeling Titan’s energy coursing through him and begins fending off his Father with renewed vigor. Father and Son exchange blows, neither getting a hit on the other which is both good and bad; good since Gladio doesn’t take any more strikes while bad because he’s becoming fatigued again and hasn’t managed to fell his elder. Suddenly, the hairs on the back of the Prince’s neck stand on end and a cold chill runs down his spine as Gilgamesh appears behind him, both he and the corpse swinging at the same time. Barriers of fire and ice swirl up around him and a deep warmth fills his chest, watching as a glistening light engulfs him and the wounds he sustained begin to heal. 

“Noct wha-”

The mage looks up at his lover, a tender smile on his face. “It’s called a Phoenix Down. Just as I used my magic to increase the potency of that potion I used on Insula, I used it on a charm given to me by the old woman from the caravan. They’re used to heal superficial wounds and boost the recipient's power.” he tells him and rests a hand on the now healing wound adorning Gladio’s abdomen. “I will keep my promise no matter what Gladio.”

The older man leans down and pulls the mage into a passionate kiss, them holding each other tightly before resting their heads together. 

“I love you.” Gladio whispers out and presses a quick kiss to the other man’s forehead. 

“And I love you.” 

They separate and turn back to back, raising up their weapons and preparing to return to battle. Noctis forces the magic barriers to explode, knocking their enemies back with the mage lunging at the one-armed man and Gladio engaging his Father. With his body being healed and invigorated, Gladio is able to keep pace and exchange blow after blow with his elder whose movements have started to become sluggish. 

A strike to the ice shield on Gladio’s arm gives him an opening, pushing with all his might and forcing his father to stumble back as the ice splinters, lodging into the corpse's flesh. The Prince lets out a roar and swings his sword, catching the glimpse of tears trickling down the man’s ashin face before his head is lopped from his body. The severed head tumbles across the ground as the body drops limply to the ground, it beginning to disintegrate into nothing and leaving only a sword, pile of clothes, and a crest. Gladio breaths out in quick ragged breaths before his legs give out, him dropping to his knees as anguished tears roll down his cheeks.

“Father, I will avenge you and everyone who was lost.” he says and picks up the dropped sword as well as the crest, adorning the item to his cloak. 

Gladio turns his focus to Noctis and Gilgamesh, the two locked in a violent battle, exchanging and blocking blow after blow, and occasionally knocking one another into banisters and stonework. The Prince rushes to his bodyguard's side and stands beside him, holding out the sword his Uncle gave him for Noct to use.

“So you don’t need to keep summoning magic swords and fatiguing yourself.” 

“Heh, I’m far from tired.” Noct says with a grin but takes the sword anyway.

“Arrogant little brat mage.” Gladio teases with affection. 

“Enough talk, start smashing our enemy over his head like the barbaric heathen I know you are.” Noctis tosses back with love. 

“So the both of you wish to challenge me now? Good, I will slaughter the both of you in one fell swoop.” the man roars and charges at them in a blur of red. 

Noctis blocks the first attack, with Gladio swinging his sword that is parried by their enemy, then the two work in tandem, exchanging strike after strike with the old King. The Prince thrusts his sword downward and misses, Gilgamesh giving a taunting laugh until the teen jumps onto the weapon and is launched into the air. The mage summons forth spears of ice and lightning, casting them down and striking the one-armed man, electrocuting and spearing him into place. Both young men take a brief moment to catch their breath, Gladio starting to fatigue now that the enhancement from the Phoenix Down is wearing off and Noctis due to using his magic in such rapid successions without giving himself enough time to recharge. 

“At this rate, I don’t think will manage to hold him till dawn.”

“Agreed. There has to be something we could do instead of just fighting to keep him interested.” Noct says then closes his eyes and goes still, as if in a trance.

“Noct?”

The young mage nods and reopens his eyes, breathing in deeply before exhaling and looking to his companion. “Bahamut made a suggestion, but it’s highly dangerous.”

“And that’d be?”

“Have him chase us around the city and if it seems like he’s going to escape, then one of the gods will manifest themselves to lure him back.”

“It is dangerous.” Gladio says, furrowing his brows in worry until a soft rumbling echoes from deep inside, calming him. “Titan seems to be onboard with the idea. So what’s the plan?”

“I’ll run across the rooftops ahead of you, taking down any undead that may get in your pathway while also keeping vigil of where Gilgamesh is.” Noct says and quickly wills forth more ice spikes that he plunges into their enemy to keep him in place a bit longer. “He will more likely give chase after you since you are already weakened and he would use it as a means to torture me.”

“All right.” Gladio says and smiles at the younger man.

Noctis smiles back and takes hold of Gladio’s cloak, pulling him down into a deep kiss before pressing their foreheads together. 

“Be safe my love.”

“And you as well.” 

Gilgamesh breaks free from his hold again, red eyes burning with rage as he’s engulfed by a Daemonic aura as he descends on the two men. 

“Enough of this child’s play, I will end both of your wretched existences!”

Gladio and Noctis prepare to run until a cold chill fills the air and watch in shock as wisps of sparkling light flit about before eight forms of the god Shiva manifest, dancing tauntingly around the Daemon King. He catches one with his blade, the form bursting into ice shards that impale him. 

“Shiva, your-” Noct begins but stops as one stands before them.

“I will do my part as well young ones, you should not have to suffer because of our doing.” she says and floats behind Gladio, lifting the squirming Prince slightly into the air and giving a nod to Noctis. 

Gilgamesh slices through another of the sprites and quickly dodges the spears, lunging towards the three only to miss and watch as they flee.

“Hmph, you think you can escape me!?” he snarls and follows suit.

Noctis ascends to the rooftops as Gladio and the Shivas maneuver through the streets, felling any corpses they come across while keeping the one-armed man in pursuit. The plan seems to be working, with them engaging him in combat briefly before making an escape to get him to give chase. Time keeps passing by with dawn edging ever closer.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, finally done with this dumpster fire, can put it behind me and allow it to die off from my mind. (ತ ೧ ತ)

Shards of ice burst through the air, turning into spears that pierce the armored man once again, him still giving chase to the three and had already felled five of the eight sprites that make up the Glacian. Fatigue has set in amongst the three but they keep pushing forward, knowing it all rests on them to contain the man and deliver the final blow. They just have less than an hour to go. 

“How are you fairing young mage?” Shiva calls out to the teen running across the rooftops. 

“My lungs and legs are starting to burn, other than that okay. How are you holding up?”

“My strength is greatly drained, if one more of the sprites is destroyed I do not think I can keep up.” 

“Then allow me to run on my own.” Gladio tells the Astral who is still holding onto him. “You should return to the altar and rest, he will still chase after the two of us.”

“If I were to set you down, he would be on you in an instant since he sees you as the weakest and easiest to kill first.”

“I can fight him off.”

“It is too soon for that if we can get him within a quarter of an hour then w-AHH!” 

Gladio is dropped to the ground as the Glacian tumbles, holding her arms around herself in pain just as ice crystals burst through the air a few blocks down. Not once, but twice. Shiva gasps in agony and writhes on the ground, the Prince rushing to her side along with the young mage. 

“He took two down?” Noctis asks, furrowing his brows.

“They became careless and got too close, he cut them both down with one strike.” she says and grimaces. “He is growing desperate and more violent, it won’t be long before he makes one last grand attack before fleeing.”

“What should we do then?” Gladio asks and then pales when he sees the look of sorrow come over the Glacian. “You can’t, not on your own.”

Shiva forces herself to stand, stumbling momentarily before turning to the two men. I have to, it’ll buy more time. Just,” she begins and looks with determination at them. “when I perish, call forth the ones living within you, give him a reason to give chase again.”

“But-” Noctis says and frowns deeply.

“No buts.” Shiva places a hand on each of the boys’ cheek. “As long as at least one survives, the others will be reborn anew. Now go.” 

The two men give her saddened looks but nod and flee, Gladio glancing back to watch as the Glacian turns towards the swirling mass of pure hatred coming closer. A hand grabs hold of his, pulling his attention to Noctis who gives him a loving smile. 

“We will end this soon and avenge all who were lost.” 

Gladio smiles back and nods then looks forward and continues to run. They weave in and out of alleys and streets, avoiding any undead that isn't taken down by the mages on the rooftops. All of a sudden both halt and grip their chest, feeling a deep pain rip through them. Then there is an explosion of ice that engulfs an entire block, signaling that Shiva had given her last stand. A wave of emotion flows through the men, anger, despair, fear; however, it is determination that wins out and the two steel themselves for the final act. They look to one another with great love and devotion, share in a quick kiss before glancing out across the ocean, seeing the slightest sliver of light. 

“All right, just a little bit longer and he’ll be vulnerable.” Noctis says and takes a deep breath. “I’ll call out Bahamut, you get ready to run.”

Gladio goes to protest but stops, trusting his companion. “Okay, just be safe if he catches up with you.”

Noctis gives him a smug grin, looking akin to when they first set out. “Of course I wil-”

A red blur appears behind the two men, them feeling a chill of dread run down their spine. The back of an armored hand connects against Gladio’s face, sending him crashing into the side of a building, his head cracking open slightly and knocking him out. Noctis manages to block a strike with his sword in a split second, holding the enrage Daemon King in a deadlock. 

“Wretched creatures, I grow tired of this game of cat and mouse.” he snarls and forces the mage back with a powerful shove before glancing out over the ocean. “Hmph, a shame. It looks like your death will be put on hold, no matter, I know who you are and will come back for you. But,” he begins and turns to the trembling Gladio, him forcing himself up as blood pools from the gash on his head. “I can at least take out another before I go.” 

Gilgamesh prepares to lunge at the felled host of Titan even before Noctis can react. He raises his blade into the air, preparing to deliver the final blow when a figure burst up from the ocean with a loud shriek, saltwater drenching those close by. The armored man stops as if stunned as he looks up at the large creature that glares down at him and hisses, allowing Noctis an opening to where he can rush to Gladio’s side. 

“The Hydraean.” Gilgamesh sneers and brandishes his sword towards her. “So you have decided to stop cowering under the waves, bitch?”

Leviathan shrieks as a large tidal wave forms behind her, drawing closer to the city. Panicked voices can be heard calling for those fighting on the ground to get to the rooftops to save them from what is coming. Noctis quickly calls forth an ice spell that forms a protective barrier around both him and Gladio just as the wave crashes against the city, devastating everything in its path. 

“Gladio?” Noctis calls to his companion with a gasp, keeping the ice barrier from shattering sapping most of his strength. “Love, are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” he grunts out and holds his head, sucking in a deep breath through his teeth from the pain. “So that’s Leviathan?”

“Yes. Crabby, as you can see and likes to arrive at the last damn second.”

“Well, better late than never. This will hopefully keep him interested for a bit longer.”

“Yeah, there is no way he will pass up the chance to take all three of us out.” 

A crack forms in the ice sending water spurting through, Noct gasps and forces more of his magic to the barrier. Strong and warm arms encompass him, with large hands laying overtop of his and a barrier of stone forming over the ice one. Noctis lets out a sigh of relief and falls back against his lover’s broad chest, wiping at his nose as blood begins to trickle down.

“Noct are you-”

“I’m fine, just drained a little since I was using my own power. Have to save Bahamut’ s just in case.”

Gladio holds him tighter, pressing a kiss to his head before resting his chin there. “I will give it my all too. So don’t try to do this all on your own.”

“I know, but if it looks like you may get fatally wounded again, I will make you stop. As I said before, I promised to keep you safe and in honor of your Father I will make sure you live.” 

The Prince smiles and pulls the teen into a tighter embrace. A loud screech rumbles around them as the waves pull back, taking with it many of the undead and loose debris. The barriers are removed and the two men look forward, watching just as Leviathan snaps her jaw shut over the one-armed man and whips her head roughly, sending the man hurdling into a stone building that causes it to crumble from the impact just as she delves back into the depths of the ocean. A quick glance at the slowly rising sun fills them both with a greater sense of hope and with the help of the Hydraean, they may just pull it off. An explosion comes from the debris of the destroyed structure where Gilgamesh was slammed into, the former King clawing his way from the rubble with an incensed aura that radiates bloodlust. 

“Alright, this is it.” Noctis says and wills a spear of fire to coincide with the sword Gladio gave him. “Keep him engaged and once the sun completely rises, aim for his neck.”

“Got it. Huh?” he says and looks at the glowing orb the mage is holding out to him. “What’s this?”

“It houses some of my magic, you can use it like a bomb if need be.”

Gladio looks to the pulsating orb reluctantly briefly before taking it with a nod. The mage throws the fire spear that instead strikes the ground by the armored man and explodes, stunning him momentarily where both young men swoop in and strike at once. To their shock and horror though, both of their attacks are blocked, Gladio with the man’s blade and Noctis’ with an ethereal red mass that has taken the place of where there was no arm before. Gilgamesh wretches the blade from the teen’s grip and delivers a harsh kick to his gut then turns and slashes both swords at the Warrior Prince, only to get knocked away by another swipe from Leviathan who has returned. The astral goes to submerge for protection but is thwarted when the stolen blade is thrust through her throat, causes the Hydrean to shriek loudly and wriggle around as blood gushes from the wound. 

“No!” Noctis gasps and attempts to draw the man’s attention from the other god but he fails and the Daemon King manages to slit the serpent across her throat, killing her. “Oh, oh gods no.” 

Gilgamesh pulls the blade from the down god, walking towards the remaining two with murderous intent as Leviathan begins to dissolve into nothing. 

“Bastard.” Gladio snarls, getting into an offensive position with the seething mage by his side. 

“It all ends here, you dishonorable curs. I shall avenge my love and free all from the oppression of you gods.” 

He lunges forwards, slashing at Gladio who manages to dodge, then gets grabbed around his ankle by a whip of fire from the mage and slammed into a building before spears of lighting crash down onto him. The Prince is on him as soon as the man emerges from the wreckage, them clashing swords and Gladio gaining a power burst from the Archaean, knocking the man to the ground and managing to regain the stolen blade that he now dual wields. Gilgamesh growls angrily and goes to slice at him only to have a burst of wind sending him hurtling back followed by ice spikes pierce his chest as they erupt from the ground. Once the man breaks free from this trap, he begins to noticeably waver which does not go unnoticed by any of them, causing the armored man to prepare himself to flee.

“No you don’t!” Noctis snaps as sends burst of fire at him that are blocked by a forcefield and repelled back at him, stunning him.

Gladio rushes forwards with his swords ready, preparing to strike him down when he drops to his knees and holds his chest in pain. Their enemy stops his fleeing and looks to the downed boy in contemplation, probably wondering if it is worth it to take him out. The desire to kill becomes too great and Gilgamesh begins stalking towards the trembling body on the ground, stopping as soon as he stands over him, raises his blase, and thrusts it down. A strong blast knocks him back, he then lets out a howl of anger and pain as his remaining arm is severed from his body by the smug Prince. It was a trap. 

“NOW!” 

Ice and earth jut from the ground and puncture through the entirety of his body, holding him in place as both of the young men descend upon him. Noctis wills a gust of wind to jettison Gladio into the air, him reeling back with his sword and lets out a loud roar as he slashes horizontally, severing the Daemon King’s head from his body. His entire body bursts into black and red flames as the sound of souls shrieking echo through the entire city, wisps of light floating into the sky and disappearing. Both youths watch with bated breaths as the fire slowly begins to subside, leaving an empty husk in its wake that crumbles into dust. Cheers erupt. The two men rush to one another in an adrenaline-fueled joy and embrace, Gladio scooping Noctis around his waist and spinning him around before they lean in for a deep kiss.

“It’s over, it’s finally over.” Gladio whispers out, tears bubbling from his eyes and sniffles softly. “No one else will be hurt and all those who were lost are avenged.”

Noct pulls him into a tight embrace, rubbing his back as the Prince finally breaks down weeping, it was truly all over. 

The return back to his Kingdom had been filled with both happiness and sadness. Only a quarter of the citizens were left, the Amicitia fortress had been ransacked and lay in shambles, however even just having some survive and a home to return to bring up his spirits. Most of all though was his sister was alive, having been taken to Cape Caem to stay with their Uncle. A memorial was held at the summit of Ravatogh, paying respects to and mourning all that were lost. Gladio, despite feeling undeserving and saddened at the prospect, was crowned King of Duscae and began to lead the survivors as well as refugees from other tribes whose leaders were slaughtered into rebuilding what was lost. 

Noctis had stayed briefly with him once they arrived back, having to report back to his Father and hopefully petition for exile so that he can return to him. That was two years ago and Gladio has all but given up hope that his lover will return, wondering if it was time to heed the requests of his council to take a partner. Then while making his rounds at one of the stations just on the border of his land, he sees a familiar caravan making its way towards the outpost, stopping briefly to allow a black cloaked figure to exit and begin walking towards the gate. Clumsily and excited, Gladio rushes down and out the gate, looking with extreme joy at the figure who begins to pick up speed. They run into each other's arms and hold each other tightly, releasing their holds after what feels like forever. Noctis pulls down his hood and smiles up at the older man, him now sporting a tattoo that starts at his neck and disappears into his clothing. They embrace once more and lean into a passionate kiss before separating but still holding hands, walking back into the outpost.


End file.
